Don't Look Back
by She'sGotHighHopes
Summary: After an overwhelming loss, Bella Swan believes her dreams to be over. Will a second chance lead her on the path to find the life she never knew she wanted?
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.**_

 _ **This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.**_

PROLOGUE

The lone figure walked quietly up the trail, pulling a hoodie over her head to offer some meager protection against the drizzle falling from the overcast sky. It was mostly quiet- peaceful- the only sound coming from the raindrops against the leaves above and an occasional animal moving through the trees.

She's walked this path since she could remember, would know every stump, every dip in her path by memory. With friends, she would run up here in the summer, excited at the thought of cliff diving. With her family, she would come up here for picnics or camping, when nothing was as beautiful as the gray water that merged on the horizon with a bright pink sunset. When nothing could make her feel any safer than snuggling on her father's lap with a handful of her mother's "homemade" cookies, watching the sun set and planning an early morning of fishing with her Daddy.

Life was so simple back then. Nothing could hurt her with her parents beside her. She could dream of the future; she would marry someone just like her Daddy and become a ballerina- by then her balance and coordination would _have_ to have improved- and then have lots of babies and live next door to her parents. Her dreams had been simple. No thoughts of leaving her family, no desire to ever expand her horizons beyond the tiny town of Forks. Whatever was outside the borders of her hometown held no interest to her. She would be content and happy to just live her life out here and die at a ripe old age, surrounded by the family she loved.

She still held those simple, naïve notions up until they were viciously ripped from her. When at sixteen, young and innocent and full of childish notions, her father's best friend, Billy, came to her school to take her out of class. To tell her that her parents had been killed in a car crash on their way back from Port Angeles. In the span of a week, she buried her beloved parents and moved from the only home she'd ever known to live with Billy Black and his son Jacob on the Quileute reservation. They were familiar to her, their house was a second home, but any comfort and familiarity in her life became alien and strange when her life had been turned upside down.

Billy had been named her guardian. Both sets of grandparents had died before she was born and she had no other blood relatives in the world. And even though she'd known the Blacks since birth, they weren't her family, not even close. Billy was strict with his son and was the same with her. His eyes held no adoration that she was used to seeing in her own father's eyes. She had quickly learned that her father's best friend was not the happy go lucky guy she'd remembered from growing up. He was bitter and angry, a heavy drinker who dwelled on the hurts of the past. The loss of his wife in a car accident, the loss of the use of his legs in that same accident, had left him harsh and mean.

There were many nights that she huddled under the covers of her little twin bed, crammed in the second bedroom with Jacob's, desperately trying to block out the sound of her friend being screamed at by a drunk Billy, the sounds of beer cans and random items lying around being thrown at him while his wheelchair ridden father blamed him for every wrong done to him in this life. Even though Jacob was well over 6 feet tall and solid muscle, and could easily take his father down, the younger man could never raise a hand to the old man, would never say a harsh word. He would never disrespect a man who showed him no respect or love in well over a decade.

Those nights, when Billy would finally pass out for the night, Jacob would come into the room and she would meet his sad, tired stare with her own. She would lift her covers and he would crawl in the tiny bed with her. They would cling to each other, whisper their plans to get away after graduation, offer any kind of hope in a hopeless situation. He told her of his dreams of owning his own body shop far away from the long reaching hands of Billy Black and the reservation. He wanted to go somewhere he could be himself, somewhere where he didn't have to hide the fact that he was in love with his best friend Sam, and where Sam didn't have to hide the feelings he shared with Jacob. She was the only one who knew Jacob's deep, dark secret. His father would surely kill him before letting anybody know that his only son was gay. She would tell him that she didn't care where she went, she would go with him and Sam, help run the office while the guys worked in the shop. She didn't have any real dreams of her own, just getting the hell out of La Push and Washington was enough. She might try her hand at writing; she was always good with words. She could do that wherever Jacob and Sam decided to settle.

But deep down, they both knew that Jacob would never leave his father on his own. The guilt of leaving him to fend for himself would eat him alive. No matter how many times she told him that Billy wouldn't be alone, the tribal elders and their wives would take care of him, Jacob would never escape. And the thought of leaving him behind when it was time for her to run broke her heart.

A few months before graduation, Billy started talking about his plans for her to marry Jacob after getting out of school. They would both live in the house with him, Jacob would work full time and she would stay at home and 'care for the men and children'. And since he was such a giving soul, he would allow them to add an addition onto the house so there would be room for their children.

She'd made the mistake of laughing out loud at such a ridiculous notion. Before she could blink, the remote had hit her in the face with such force that she fell back into the kitchen table, forcing back tears at the shooting pain in her cheekbone and the black fury in Billy's eyes. Jacob stood in shock for a full minute before rushing to her side, helping her to a chair to sit down. For the first time, Jacob Black had turned on his father in rage. He was used to Billy's violence towards him, but never towards her. He stood up to his full height, leaning over his father and shaking in barely controlled anger. Billy just looked up at him, an evil little grin curling up the corner of his mouth.

"What are you gonna do, boy? Kill your old crippled Daddy? You think the elders would protect you then?"

And like she knew he would do, Jacob stumbled back, fists clenched. He could never do that to his father. Instead, he grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the house without a word.

In the garage, he had dug out the first aid kit and tended to her bruised face, apologizing profusely through his tears. When he was finished, he buried his face in her lap, sobbing while she ran her fingers through his hair, trying to comfort her dear friend while tears fell from her own eyes.

"This is the last straw, Jake," she whispered, keeping her voice low on the off chance that Billy had wheeled himself outside. "We can't live like this forever. Can you even imagine bringing a child into this life?"

Jacob's huge hands gripped her waist tightly before he wrapped his arms around her. "Where are we gonna go? We have no money, anything we earn he takes."

She bent over him, forming a sort of cocoon around him, trying her best to encase them in their own safe little bubble. "I have a little money in the bank. Mom and Daddy's life insurance was mostly eaten up by the funerals, but there's a tiny bit left. We could get bus tickets, go anywhere. Sam can go with us or meet us wherever we end up." She let out a shuddering sob. "Anything would be better than this."

His sobs increased then, his hold on her tightened and his broken voice tore into her heart even more. _"I don't know what to do… I don't know what to do…"_

Up ahead, the trees thinned out slightly and the path widened. She could see the vast ocean in the distance, the water matching the dreary, overcast sky. A morose watercolor of every shade of gray; a snapshot of her future if she stayed. No bright sunny days, no spectacular pink sunsets, no happy to give her a reason to get out of bed in the mornings. Nothing in her life to give it meaning, nothing to bring her joy. Sure, she could be married to her best friend, could always have him to lean on, but at what cost. They didn't love each other like that. He would see his love move away to live a life without him. She would have a future without romance, without love, without color. She would grow to resent Jacob, or vice versa. And she would be damned if she brought any children into that kind of environment. She would rather die.

She stopped suddenly, the path ending at the toes of her dirty white Converse, dropping hundreds of feet to the jagged rocks and roiling gray water below. She could just feel the spray of the ocean from up there, mixing with the drizzle from above, a figure lost in the gray mist. She reached up, pulling her hoodie back, feeling the wind catch her long dark hair. Eyes closed, head looking up toward the heavens, she held her arms out wide and took a deep breath.

"Give me a sign, Daddy," she shouted. "Something. _Anything_!"

She waited, never opening her eyes. This was a weekly ritual with her, hiking up to this point, begging her father for an answer. The visits had become more commonplace lately. Graduation was the next day. And according to Billy, her and Jacob's wedding was planned for the following week with the elders.

"Please Daddy," she begged, rain mixing with ocean spray mixing with her tears. "What do I do?"

A particularly strong gust of wind hit her then, pushing her back a few steps. She opened her eyes, arms still outstretched, and her breath caught in her throat. For through the vast gray nothingness, she saw a break in the clouds. A tiny streak of pink, barely noticeable, but it was there.

The weight disappeared from her body, the heaviness that settled inside of her ever since Billy wheeled into her school with the news that would bring her world crashing down, seemed to float away. That streak of pink in the sky, a sign she was sure was from her father, was something she had not dared to dream of lately.

Finally. Bella Swan felt hope.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.**_

 _ **This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.**_

CHAPTER ONE

"Oh my GAWD, Bella! Can you believe this day is finally here?"

Bella rolled her eyes heavenward at the whispered squeal coming from her right. The girl sounded like a stuck pig and her voice had the same effect as nails on a chalkboard to Bella, but if she learned anything in the years growing up with Jessica Stanley, it was that ignoring the girl would only make her talk more.

"No, Jess. I really can't."

Bella kept her eyes forward, watching her classmates walk up to the stage row by row to get their diplomas. Honestly, could these people walk any slower? As much as they had talked about graduation and moving away from this dreary, boring place, they could at least pick up the pace and hurry the process along.

 _Knees to chest, people. Knees to chest._

Beside her, Jessica sighed and clasped her hands to her chest as Mike Newton walked across the stage. "Doesn't Mike look so handsome in his cap and gown?"

"He looks like everybody else here," Bella muttered, stretching her legs out before crossing them at the ankles. She could have really done without all the pomp and circumstance. Seriously, couldn't they just mail her the diploma?

Jessica huffed at Bella's lack of enthusiasm in her boyfriend's appearance, but took the hint and kept her mouth shut.

Finally, it was time for Bella's row to stand. She got to her feet, following Jessica down the row and up the aisle to the front, her trip across the stage to shake the hand of Superintendent "What's his Face" and snatch up her diploma from the principal only noticeable by the loud cheer from a section of the bleachers. She couldn't help but grin as she looked up to see Jacob, Sam, and some of the other Rez kids in the stands on their feet and cheering for her. The heat in her cheeks warned her of her telltale blush and she shook her head in amusement as she walked down the steps and made her way back to her seat.

Her amusement melted away, though, when she thought of the two people who should be there next to her friends but weren't. She could imagine her mother's tears and her father's proud grin in her mind and she swallowed back the grief, taking a deep breath and concentrating on her classmates walking across the stage. She managed a halfhearted cheer when her only true friend from school, Angela Weber, walked across the platform and collected her own diploma. She felt a little bit of envy for her sweet friend. Angela's life was planned out to her specifications. She would be leaving for U-Dub in August to study for her Elementary Education degree while her boyfriend, Ben Cheney, would be working towards his business degree. They would graduate, move back to Forks and get married. She would teach kindergarten during the week and Sunday school at her father's church on Sunday's. She would have babies and make them cookies and go to her parent's house for Sunday dinners.

Once upon a time, that had been Bella's dream, to an extent. But things happen and dreams change and now, Bella's only priority was to get the hell out of Washington. She didn't even have college to look forward to. Billy had forbidden her from applying to any college, saying that a woman's place was in the home. And _her_ place was in his home, married to his son and popping out babies while cooking his dinner and bringing him his beer.

Bella looked up towards her friends in the stands. Jacob was sitting next to Sam and they were whispering to each other. To anyone else, it looked like two friends shooting the shit, but Bella could see the subtle twinkle in Jacob's eyes and the grin on Sam's face. For this small amount of time, her friend was free and lighthearted, away from the dark glare of his father, who thankfully stayed at home in front of the TV with his beer and baseball game instead of coming to her graduation.

To Jacob's right were the Clearwater's. Sue and Harry had been friends of her parent's, while Leah and Seth were friends of Jacob's. Leah hated her, believing her to be the reason that Jacob didn't return her creepy stalker feelings. Seth was a few years younger than the rest of them, and only wanted to be "cool" like the older boys, only paying attention to her when she had baked cookies or made dinner.

Bella met Sue's gaze and the older woman smiled at her, but even at this distance, she could see something strange in Sue's eyes. Whether it was sadness or concern, Bella couldn't tell. She watched as Harry caught their gaze and reached over, wrapping an arm around his wife. He winked at Bella and she couldn't help but grin back at him. It was something her father would have done and it comforted her slightly.

Finally, the ceremony ended, the group shouting and flinging their caps in the air while the crowd in the stands cheered. Bella stood up, tossed her cap in the air and walked away from the group, making her way to her friends in the bleachers.

Jacob made it to her first, wrapping her in his arms and lifting her off the ground in a bear hug. She couldn't help but laugh as she held on for dear life.

"You did it, Bells! You made it through high school hell and survived to tell the tale!"

Bella snorted and slapped him playfully on the shoulder. He sat her back on her feet and kissed her forehead. She looked up and met his dark eyed stare, his playful demeanor momentarily covered by seriousness. "Honestly, I am so proud of you. I know you struggled the past couple years."

"Thank you Jake." She reached up and cupped his cheek. "I couldn't have made it without you. Something I think you deserve to hear."

Jacob blinked, his eyes misting slightly before he cleared his throat and nodded. No further words were needed.

She accepted hugs of congratulations from Sam and Harry, a bored nod from Seth, and a petulant sneer from Leah. Bella just rolled her eyes and turned to Sue.

Sue Clearwater had been the closest thing to a mother figure that Bella had since her own mother's death. She had been a shoulder to cry on during her grief and someone to turn to for things that only a woman could understand. For as much as Bella loved Sue, though, there were things she couldn't tell her about her life in the Black household. Sue was a friend of her parents, but first and foremost, she was a Quileute, and heritage and tradition meant that she had to follow along with her tribe no matter what. Bella couldn't bear to threaten the relationship she held so dear, so she never spoke of Billy and his controlling and violent behavior. With that in mind, Bella put on a happy face and planned to pretend that all was well in her world.

The look in Sue's eyes that she noticed before was still there, and from close up, it appeared to be a mixture of sadness and anxiety.

"Why so blue, Sue," Bella cracked, forcing a smile. Sue shook her head and glanced behind her before taking her hand tightly.

"I'm just so proud of you, sweet girl," she murmured, pulling her away from the group. Louder, she replied, "I know Charlie and Renee are looking down on you now and are both so proud of you."

Bella's eyes narrowed slightly, looking behind her at whatever Sue was looking at. She met Jacob's gaze and he gave her a single, slight nod before turning back to the conversation with Harry and Sam. She felt Sue's arm wrap around her shoulder, leading her away from the crowd and out the gym doors.

"What's going on, Sue?"

"I wanted to talk to you in private," Sue said quietly, staring straight ahead. "I didn't want our conversation to become gossip at the next council meeting."

Bella was quiet as Sue led her out in the parking lot, stopping only when they reached the big red truck her father had given her on her 16th birthday. The truck had been a labor of love from Jacob and Charlie Swan- Jacob had proudly fixed it up and Charlie bought it from him "for a steal". It had been Bella's pride and joy from first sight.

"What's going on, Sue?" Bella repeated, turning to face the older woman. "Are you spilling tribal secrets to me now?"

Sue sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over tired eyes. "I'm not blind, Bella. I know how hard life has been for you and Jacob living in that house."

Bella stiffened. "I highly doubt you know much of anything that goes on in that house."

Sue chuckled darkly, looking back towards the school. "I know Billy is forcing you and Jacob into this sham of a wedding next week." At Bella's questioning look, she continued. "Bells, I know about Jacob and Sam. And as much as you and Jacob love each other, I can see it's more of a sibling kind of love and nothing more."

Bella swallowed hard, looking away from Sue's piercing stare. As much as she hated Billy, as much as she wanted to get the hell out of La Push and Forks, she wasn't going to out her friend's secret. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I'm not going to tell Billy about Jacob and Sam," Sue continued. "I have no problem with the boys, but I know how Billy is and I would never do anything to put Jacob in harm's way. With that being said, I refuse to let that man's plan continue. I have an idea why he is pushing this and I will not allow that to happen."

"Why he's pushing this?" Bella snorted. "You think you can stop Billy Black from being a controlling asshole?"

"Oh Bella," Sue's eyes filled with tears and she pulled the younger girl into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry I failed you. I should have said something sooner, but until you graduated, you wouldn't have been able to do anything about it."

Anxiety filled Bella as she clung to Sue. For as long as she remembered, Sue Clearwater was a rock; the only time she broke down was after the accident and the week of the funeral.

"I don't know how long it will be before everybody comes out here," Bella said, pulling away from Sue. "If you want to tell me Billy's big dark secret, you'd better spit it out."

Sue took a deep breath. "Charlie left a trust fund in your name, available to you when you graduated from high school. Billy is pushing this wedding so he can get his hands on the money himself."

Bella froze. Trust fund? She had never heard about a trust fund. As far as she knew, there had only been the life insurance policies, and those had gone towards her parent's debt and funerals. She'd had a little bit left over from the sale of the house, but according to Billy; most of that money had gone towards past taxes and bills. The look in Sue's eyes was sincere, though. Bella took a step away, her back hitting the driver's side door of her truck.

Wait a minute…

 _According to Billy_ …

Rage filled Bella's heart and her eyes narrowed. That filthy, drunk piece of shit…

"Billy spent the money from the sale of my parent's house, didn't he?" she spit out. "There were no back taxes and debt to cover. He kept it for himself?"

Sue looked back towards the school before turning back to Bella. "Your father's lawyer had a majority of that money put towards your trust, along with Charlie's pension. Billy has been receiving monthly checks to pay for your care, but he's waiting for your trust fund." Tears spilled out from her dark eyes as she reached into her purse. "You can get out of here, sweet girl. Charlie and Renee made sure you would never need for anything again. Although I doubt that either one of them knew how Billy would become with all of this. They trusted him with their little girl and he broke that trust and for that, I am so sorry."

Bella was speechless. So many thoughts were running through her head. She could escape Billy. She could go anywhere, do anything. She could get Jacob and Sam away from the reservation. A terrifying thought gripped her.

"Did Jacob know about the trust fund?" She couldn't believe that he would keep something that big from her.

Sue shook her head, glancing back when she heard Jacob and Sam's loud voices coming out of the gym doors. The Clearwater's were following behind, all heading towards them. Sue shoved a piece of paper in Bella's hand.

"Jacob has no idea. He came to me the other day and told me everything that has been going on. Don't let anybody know about this, Bella. Go to the address on this paper and don't look back. Get away before Billy traps you here."

With that, Sue pulled Bella into a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you, Bella Swan. Go live your life, go find some happy. That's all Charlie and Renee ever wanted for you."

*.*.*

Harry Clearwater took Billy on a spur of the moment fishing trip the following morning. They would be gone until the following afternoon. Bella wondered if Harry knew as much about what was going on as Sue had.

Jacob had taken advantage of the day without Billy to spend time with Sam. They had decided to go camping and had left not long after Billy did. Bella was happy that her friends were able to get some time alone. She couldn't imagine how hard it was for them, being in love and having to hide it. She had never been in love before, had no idea what it was like, but she would never wish any kind of pain and heartbreak on Jacob and Sam.

The paper Sue had given her had a Port Angeles address and phone number, with the name "J. Jenks" written on the top. Bella wasted no time, and by 8am, she was on the road. She was still in shock at Sue's revelation the day before, at the bittersweet idea of freedom that was just within her grasp. Her parents had made sure she was taken care of even after their deaths, but put their trust in a man who never deserved their friendship in the first place.

Bella's first thought at Billy's betrayal was to push him up the trail to the cliff and shove him over the side. Death was too easy, though. If everything went as she hoped, she would be gone, Jacob and Sam would be gone, and Billy would be alone in his little house drinking himself into his grave. She had never been one to dwell on anger and revenge, but if the last two years had taught her anything, it was that some people didn't deserve a second chance.

She reached Port Angeles with twenty minutes to kill before the lawyer's office opened. She grabbed an iced mocha and a bagel at a coffee shop and sat in her truck outside the office, waiting for any sign of life. She tried to imagine what would happen during the meeting. Would she have enough to go to college? Would she have enough to help Jacob and Sam start a new life for themselves? Where would she go? The furthest away she had been was Seattle, when her parents took her there for vacation as a child. She had no family, no friends to go to. Bella supposed she could go wherever Jacob and Sam went, but they deserved a fresh start in life, with no reminders of their rough beginnings.

A BMW pulling into the parking lot dragged Bella out of her thoughts. She watched as an older, stocky man in a dark suit climbed out and made his way into the building, briefcase and coffee in hand.

"Here goes nothing," she muttered, grabbing her purse.

The office was small and cozy, something that Bella was not expecting. She figured from watching TV that all lawyer's offices were fancy and stuffy. She expected that she had a lot to learn about life that couldn't be found on the television.

The man from the parking lot was standing by the receptionist's desk, talking to a grandmotherly woman behind a computer. They both looked up when Bella walked in. The man's eyes lit up when he saw her.

"Isabella Swan, as I live and breathe," his smile was genuine as he stepped towards her, reaching out his hands to grasp both of hers. "I figured I would be seeing you soon. You just graduated yesterday, correct?"

Bella was stunned by his familiarity; as far as she knew, she'd never met the man. "I'm sorry, have we met before?"

The man chuckled to himself, giving her hands a squeeze before releasing them. "I'm sorry, dear girl. You were just a little thing when we met. I would recognize those Swan eyes anywhere, though." He stepped back, turning to the woman behind the desk. "Hold my calls for the next hour or so, would you, Jeanie?"

Jeanie smiled, "you're the boss."

The man held his arm out towards an open door, indicating that Bella lead the way into the office. With a pounding heart, she followed his lead.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.**_

 _ **This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.**_

CHAPTER TWO

Bella sat in her truck two hours later in stunned silence.

 _To say that Jenks was stunned by her story was an understatement. He was furious at the turn of events that led his old friend's daughter to his office; angry enough to be one phone call away from calling some "friends in high places" to dispose of Billy Black in any way he saw fit._

 _Bella wondered if her Police Chief father had known about these "friends"._

 _For some reason, Bella felt that Jenks was safe to open up to. She told him everything that had happened since her parent's deaths. From Billy's drinking and violent tendencies, to his controlling behavior and his lies about her financial situation. When she told him about his demands that she and Jacob marry and live with him, he had covered his face with his hands, muttering expletives under his breath._

 _"I'm so sorry, Bella. I had no idea about any of this," he looked her in the eyes, his own eyes filled with remorse. "I trusted Billy as your guardian because Charlie trusted him. Had I known, I would have stepped in and found alternate living arrangements."_

 _Bella was quiet, nervously playing with a loose thread on her shirt. "That's in the past. What I need to know now is if I have the means to get out of the situation I'm in."_

 _Jenks leaned forward and she looked up to meet his eyes. "Bella, you will never have to worry about Billy Black from this day forward. Your father made sure you would never need to worry about a thing financially. I'm only sorry it took this long for you to learn about it."_

 _Bella cleared her throat, looking back down at the loose thread. "So what do I need to do?"_

As it turned out, all she needed to do was sign a few papers and Jenks made a few calls. In her purse, she had a check book and a debit card for an account in her name at a local bank. When she got to where she wanted to settle down, all she needed to do was call Jenks and he would set up a checking and savings account at a local bank there.

Besides that, at her insistence, a bank account was set up in Jacob's name with two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in it. She had a check book and debit card for that account in an envelope in her purse.

Even after deducting the amount she set up for Jacob, she still had two point three million dollars to her name. How her father had managed that, she had no idea. As a child, they were never hurting for anything, but by no means were they wealthy. The possibilities for her were endless and she was terrified at the overwhelming sense of freedom she found herself having.

Clutched in her hand was another envelope, this one with her name written on the outside in her father's familiar chicken scratch. When Jenks handed it to her and she saw "Bells" written on it, she couldn't stop the sobs from coming. She couldn't bear to read it in the office, choosing instead to find somewhere more private to read her father's words to her.

When her hands were steady and her breathing evened out, she started the truck and headed back to La Push. Even though Billy wouldn't be home until the following afternoon, she felt a sense of urgency to pack her bags and get as far away from the reservation as she could before he returned and noticed she was gone. She also needed to get in touch with Jacob before she left. She hoped that he would take off with Sam before Billy got back. Maybe if he had the means to get away, he would actually leave Billy behind and start the life he deserved.

Back at the house, she made quick work of packing her clothing in one duffel bag and the other, she filled with the pictures of her parents, her mother's jewelry box and her father's police uniform and a few of his shirts she had kept. All of her worldly possessions filled two bags, but she couldn't bear to leave without them. Within ten minutes, she was back in her truck with the house in her rearview mirror.

She didn't look back.

Bella drove to First Beach, parking at the end of the lot closest to the trail. Pulling her cell phone out of her purse, she dialed Jacob's number and prayed that wherever he was, he still had cell phone reception.

The first call rang four times before going to voicemail. "Answer the phone, bitch," she snapped before hanging up. On the third try, Jacob finally answered.

"What the hell is going on Bells?" Jacob snapped in greeting. She couldn't help but chuckle, feeling lighthearted at his annoyance.

"The answer to our prayers, douchebag," she responded, not giving him a chance to reply. "Can you and Sam meet me at our spot?"

"Seriously, you want us to meet you now? You know how hard it is to get away like this."

"Jacob, I swear to God it will be worth your while," Bella promised, glancing over at her purse where his envelope was carefully tucked into the inner pocket. She cleared her throat, sobering up slightly at her next words. "Besides, I've got my bags packed and I'm leaving after I see you."

There was a full minute of silence on the phone after that. She was about to see if the call had dropped when she heard his whispered voice. "Leaving? Bella, what are you talking about?"

"Trust me, Jake. Please," she begged, her own voice barely above a whisper.

There was another moment of silence before he cleared his throat. "We'll be there in about an hour."

"See you then," she murmured, hanging up the phone before her tears started up again. Honestly, she was looking forward to a time when she didn't cry at the drop of a hat.

The walk up to the cliffs felt different this time. She took in the smell of the forest, the sound of the animals, the feel of the misty air on her face, committing every sense to memory. This would be the last time she ever walked this path. A wave of nostalgia washed over her as she remembered walking this path with her parent's. She also remembered the times she walked up this path alone, desperate to talk to her father, begging for a sign. A sign that she finally got just a couple days before with that little streak of pink in the sky.

She reached her destination fifteen minutes later and was grateful that it was deserted. Settling on a rock near the edge, she stared out at the gray, finally noticing the slight streaks of pink and blue through the clouds. They were a little easier to see now.

With slightly trembling hands, she removed the envelope from her purse and stared for a long time at her nickname written on the front. She touched the chicken scratch, remembering how much she teased her father about his messy handwriting, telling him that he should have been a doctor instead of a police chief. She took a cleansing breath and carefully opened the envelope, pulling out the folded paper inside.

 _Bells,_

 _If you're reading this, I want to first tell you that I'm so very sorry for not being there, for leaving you too soon. You have to know that I would never willingly leave your side and I hope you can forgive me._

 _When I met your mother, I thought that I could never love another as much as I loved her. And then you were born and I looked into your eyes and knew that my mother was right all along. Nothing could ever match the love you feel for your child. You are the single best thing I've done in my life, and I need you to know how much I love you. And even though I'm not physically there with you, know that I will always be there, in spirit._

 _I know you always planned on staying in Forks, on living out your life there and even though I loved the thought of you always being there, I don't want you to miss out on the things I missed out on. There are so many things you need to experience before you settle down, so many people you need to meet before choosing the one person you can't live without._

 _If you're reading this, then you've seen Jenks and know that you now have the means to do this. Go live out your dreams, baby. See the world, or at least the rest of the country. Go see the Grand Canyon, go fishing for your old man at Yosemite, go ride to the top of the St Louis Arch and look out at the world that is laid out before you. Go swimming in an ocean that you don't need a wetsuit in so you don't freeze. Ride those damn teacups at Disney World. Anything you can think of Bells, go do it. And afterwards, if you decide you still want to settle in Forks, then at least you'll know that you've seen everything you wanted to see._

 _Find something that brings you joy. Don't work a nine-to-five job just because it's a paycheck. Find what makes you happy, something that you can't wait to get out of bed to go do. Go be happy and know that whatever you do, I love you and I'm so damn proud of you._

 _And when the time comes and you meet the boy that you want to marry, just think "What would Dad think". Don't waste your life with someone who doesn't treat you like the princess you are (don't roll your eyes at me, young lady. You're my princess and any man who is deserving of you will recognize this). Find someone who worships the ground you walk on and can challenge you to be the best person you can be. Don't go to bed angry. Life is too short for petty arguments. And remember, that if this boy isn't the best for you that he can be, I'll haunt the hell out of him._

 _I'm always there with you, Bells. Don't ever think that I've abandoned you. Nothing, not even death, can keep me away from my little girl. You make me so proud, always. Don't ever forget that._

 _All my love,_

 _Dad_

Bella's eyes overflowed until the words became a blur. Sobs wracked her body as she held the precious letter to her chest, careful not to crumple the paper. She had never known how desperately she needed those words, how much she needed his advice.

She couldn't help but chuckle at his words. How he had basically given her a road map for the near future. Bella now had a purpose, to follow her father's suggestions, to see the world that he wanted her to see. She felt excitement for her future, at last. With teary eyes looking up, she laughed at the break in the clouds.

"I love you, Daddy. Thank you."

*.*.*

By the time Jacob and Sam arrived, she had dried her tears and safely tucked her father's letter back in the envelope and in her purse. She would have to see about getting the letter laminated so she wouldn't smudge the precious words with her tears.

The moment Jacob saw her sitting on the rock, he rushed to her side and pulled her into his arms, nearly squeezing the breath out of her body. "Don't ever scare me like that again, Bells! What the hell are you talking about, you're leaving? Today? What's going on?"

Bella grinned at Sam, who was standing behind Jacob. He offered her a tentative grin back, but she could see the worry and sadness in his eyes. He knew how important Bella was to Jacob, and he worried that without her there, life in the Black household would be too much for him to bear.

"Daddy answered our prayers, Jake," she whispered in his ear, pulling back slightly so she could look him in the eye.

Confusion flittered across his face as she pulled away from him and reached for her purse, pulling out the envelope with his name on it. Without a word, she handed it to him. He stared at her for a long moment before opening the flap and pulling out the contents.

Jacob was speechless as his eyes went from the papers and card in his hand back to her face and back to his hands. Sam stepped forward, looking down at whatever was causing Jacob's silence. His eyes widened and his head shot up, his eyes meeting Bella's.

"What…? Bella, I don't understand…"

"Dad and Mom set up a trust fund for me, Jake," Bella replied, her hands finding that loose string on her shirt once more. "That's why Billy was so dead set on us getting married. He knew about it and wanted it for himself."

Jacob's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out as he looked back and forth between her and the paperwork. Sam found his own voice and cleared his throat.

"They left something for Jake too?"

Bella shook her head. "That's from me. Don't you see? We're free! You can take that money and get the hell out of here! You two can start a new life for yourselves!" She reached out and grabbed Jacob's arm. "You can find a place you are happy in and open up that shop you've always wanted! Both of you!"

Jacob moved towards the rock she had been sitting on and dropped down on it, his eyes never hers. "But what about you, Bella? Why are you leaving after this? You're just going to go off by yourself?"

Bella sat down beside him, laying her head on his shoulder. "I have things I need to see for myself, Jake. That doesn't mean that we'll never see each other again. You and Sam deserve time together, just the two of you. You have a new home to find and a shop to start up," she squeezed his arm. "I promise we'll see each other again. I wouldn't miss seeing my best friend living out his dream for anything."

Jacob sobbed, wrapping his arms around her and holding on tight. A minute later, she felt Sam's arms wrap around the both of them and she couldn't hold in the teary laugh.

The trio composed themselves a few minutes later and Jacob took a deep breath, wiping his hands over his eyes. He looked over at Sam and grinned.

"Want to run away with me, Uley?"

*.*.*

They wasted no time going back to the house to help Jacob pack up any necessities. They left their cell phones next to Billy's remote with a straight to the point "fuck you" letter underneath and left to help Sam grab his own stuff. With their bags in the back of Bella's truck, they left the reservation for good, heading back towards Port Angeles once more.

Their first stop was to pick up new cell phones. After that, they stopped at a car dealership and Jacob and Sam spent over an hour looking under the hoods of the cars Bella liked to make sure they met their standards of safety. The new car would be carrying precious cargo, after all.

With a shiny new silver Volvo in her name, Bella handed her truck keys and the signed title over to her best friend. Jacob looked at her in shock at the title.

"What are you doing, Bells? I'm just holding onto this for you until you can come back and get it."

"Just in case you need to prove it's not stolen," Bella joked, running her hand lovingly over the body of the truck. "I will be back for this someday, Jacob. And I only trust you and Sam to take care of her until then."

Jacob nodded and gripped the keys tightly. He composed himself before letting out a deep breath. "So this is it?"

Bella grinned. "This is it. Any idea where you're heading first?"

Jacob and Sam looked at each other and Sam grinned. "I say we head south. Portland sounds like a good stop for the night."

Jacob nodded in agreement. "What about you, Bells? Where's your first stop?"

Bella thought about her father's letter and chuckled. "Yosemite."

Jacob shook his head and chuckled. "Well you could follow us to Portland, stay the night and head off on your own in the morning. Give a guy a little more time with his best friend?"

Bella and Sam both nodded in agreement. A little extra time with friends sounded great.

*.*.*

They reached Portland by six thirty that evening and decided to share a room at a Holiday Inn. They went out only to gorge themselves on waffles at a nearby restaurant before returning to the room, Bella's hands filled with local tourist literature from the hotel lobby.

The three lounged on the giant king sized bed, flipping through brochures and watching Comedy Central on the television. Around two in the morning, they fell asleep with Bella sandwiched in between her two friends.

Bella slept like the dead and woke up refreshed. They had breakfast at a diner, feasting on biscuits and coffee without a care in the world. Bella had to admit it was the best day of her life so far, since losing her parents.

After breakfast, the group sobered up a bit. Even though she knew she needed to get out and see the world on her own, her heart broke at the thought of leaving Jacob and Sam behind. She was more than a little scared at being alone and part of her desperately wanted to invite the two along with her, at least for Yosemite.

But she would never expand her horizons if she held onto the familiar with an iron grip. She needed to let go, to let Jacob and Sam find their own way. And someday, when she was ready, she would come back and see just how well her friends had done for themselves.

So with tears in her eyes and a heavy heart, she wrapped Jacob in the tightest hug she could manage and promised him that this was not a "good bye", but a "see you later".

She kept looking at her friend in the rearview mirror until he was no longer in view. And then she set her sights forward in determination and headed south.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.**_

 _ **This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.**_

CHAPTER THREE

Bella drove until early evening, stopping at a hotel just outside of Redding for the night. She was too tired to eat, instead she chose to fall face first on her bed fully clothed and pass out. She was woken up for a few minutes by her phone ringing, and managed to stay awake long enough to assure Jacob that she was okay and in for the night.

The next morning, she ate a quick breakfast, filled the gas tank and got back on the road. She had almost seven hours left of driving before she got to Yosemite, and she wanted to be in her cabin before dark. She had called to make reservations the day before and decided she would get her California fishing license and her gear at one of the stores in the park.

The drive was parts exhilarating and terrifying. Bella had never been alone a day in her life and certainly had never ventured on a cross country trip before. She feared getting lost, but tried to calm her nerves by remembering that she really had no timeframe to go by, that if she got lost, she would just keep going and find something new she would have never seen otherwise.

The weather was perfect, sunny and warm and Bella had to remind herself to pick up some sunscreen at the next stop. She hadn't had a sunburn since she was seven years old and she didn't want another one. The warmth felt wonderful, though. She wondered if it was possible to overdose on sunshine and decided that if it was, it was certainly a wonderful way to die.

She passed the time singing along to the radio, talking to herself when she was feeling lonely, and called Jacob only once for a check in. He and Sam had decided to spend a few days checking out Portland before continuing on. They planned on heading towards Southern California, stopping along the way at anything that looked interesting. Like her, they had no real timeline. They would know when they reached their destination.

Bella also called Jenks to let him know her new phone number. He let her know that a furious Billy Black had called his office the day before, and Jenks had taken great pleasure from tearing into the old drunk and letting him know that his plans for getting a hold of Bella's trust were long gone. She couldn't help but laugh at that, wishing she could have seen the look on Billy's face when he realized that his cash cow was gone, along with his son, and he was alone with nobody to listen to his bitching. It was the small things…

The sun was starting to set when Bella finally reached the entrance to the park. She drove along, following the signs to Curry Village and enjoying the views that were similar yet different from the views she saw back in Washington. She was glad to find a decent parking spot and went into the office to check in.

The cabin was cute; a large bed with a red striped comforter, a dresser, a night table and a bathroom. Bella dumped her bags on the floor and grabbed a salmon burger at the Meadow Grill before heading in for the night. She would walk to the Village Sport Shop for her California fishing license and gear before checking out some of the trails the next morning.

Bella was up and dressed, and sitting at Coffee Corner by 7:30. She enjoyed a leisurely breakfast of coffee and oatmeal while going over the park map she picked up in the office at check in. There were a lot of creeks and rivers to pick from and she felt a pang of sadness that her father wasn't here to enjoy this experience with her.

Charlie Swan had been a real outdoor enthusiast, and would probably have been more than happy living in a tent in the forest if he could have. Although Bella had shared his love of hiking and fishing, she wouldn't have given up the basic comforts of indoor plumbing and hot water for anything. Her mother, Renee, was more of an indoor girl, and when she did come along on fishing trips, she would sit in the back of the boat or on the dock with a book and her headphones, listening to classic rock.

Bella cleared her throat, dislodging the emotional lump that was forming and took a deep breath. She was determined to shed no more tears. This trip was in honor of her father and damn it, she was going to enjoy it!

She grabbed her trash and stood up, turning around to find a trash can when she bumped right into someone.

"Oomph!" she grunted, stumbling back a couple steps.

"I'm so sorry!" A soft hand reached out and gripped her arm to keep her from falling. Bella looked up to add her own apologies in and was caught off guard by the blonde model that stood there with a smile on her face. Behind her, a group of equally stunning twenty-something's stood, chuckling at their mishap.

"No, I apologize," Bella felt her cheeks warm up and groaned internally. That damn blush would be the death of her! "I should have paid more attention."

The model laughed and released Bella's arm, only to stick her hand out in greeting. "Not a problem. I'm Tanya Denali. Nice to bump into you."

Bella rolled her eyes, but couldn't hold back the grin. "Likewise. Bella Swan."

Tanya turned to the group behind her, pointing them out as she spoke. "This are my sisters, Kate and Irina,"- more stunning blond models-, "and my cousin Carmen and her husband, Eleazar,"- two more could be models, only brunette-. "We're here from Alaska for the week."

Bella wasn't used to such candor from a virtual stranger, but found the woman's cheerful demeanor refreshing. She couldn't help but like her. "Nice to meet you all. I don't know how long I'm here for, but I'm from Washington."

Kate stepped forward, glancing around before meeting Bella's eyes. "You're at Yosemite by yourself?"

Bella shrugged, hoping her blush wasn't too noticeable. " Yeah, kind of the beginning of my cross country 'experience life' trip, I guess you could say."

Tanya's eyes lit up. "Oh wow, that is so cool!" She tilted her head towards her family. "We're heading to the sport shop to pick up a few things for today's hike. You have anything specific planned for today?"

Before Bella knew it, she was walking with the Denali clan, chatting away with Tanya and Kate, still a bit stunned from the recent turn of events. She had figured she would be doing this alone, just her and her thoughts, never expecting to quite literally bump into a group of new hiking buddies.

She mentioned her main reason for coming to Yosemite, to fish in honor of her father, but had no clue really where to start.

"A lot of people fish the Merced River," Eleazar suggested. "We were going to head outside the park before sunrise tomorrow to check out a few spots ourselves."

"Yeah, Bella! Why don't you come with us?" Tanya suggested, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "We're hiking the Mist trail today, up to Nevada Falls and back. You can come with us and check out the views and then in the morning, we can all go fishing!"

Bella pondered on the idea. She had to admit, she was more than a little tempted. As long as… "There will be no rock climbing involved, correct?"

Irina chuckled. "That's more Carmen and Eleazar's thing. I have no desire to risk my life climbing up the side of a mountain. That's probably their plan day after tomorrow while we hike up to Half Dome."

Bella looked at each of Denali's, feeling a bit giddy at the welcoming expressions on all of their faces. She had to admit that she really liked the thought of joining their tight knit little group. Except for Angela and some of the Rez kids back home, she really didn't have many friends and she hated to admit the loneliness that crept up on her at the worst times. Her father's words from his letter popped into her head.

 _There are so many things you need to experience before you settle down, so many people you need to meet before choosing the one person you can't live without._

A wide smile took over her face and she couldn't help but laugh at Tanya's excited shriek. "Thank you. I'd love to join you guys."

*.*.*

"Oh my God, Bella, you should have seen it!" Kate was laughing so hard that she was almost doubled over. Tanya actually had to stop to catch her breath from laughing at the memory. "We woke up to Irina's screams and ran out of the tent to see who was strangling her…a black bear was in the camp and had gotten a hold of an empty bag of chips that she didn't store in the food locker before going to bed…"

Tanya snorted and Irina just rolled her eyes. "I was seven years old!"

"She was screaming at the top of her lungs, like some bad B movie actress, shaking a stick at this huge bear… he … he just looked at her like she'd lost her mind!" Kate continued but soon dissolved into more uncontrollable giggles.

Bella couldn't contain her own laughter, imagining a little Irina trying to threaten a bear with a stick. Irina herself tried to look put off, but her lips had started to curve upwards and finally, she had to laugh at herself as well.

"To be fair, it was the first bear she'd ever seen up close and not through the living room windows," Carmen offered, her lips curving up in her own fond smile.

Bella was thrilled that she had joined the group of people who were quickly becoming her friends. Carmen and Eleazar were very polite, but mostly in their own little world. Tanya, Kate and Irina were all chatty and playful, teasing each other about past embarrassing situations and cracking Bella up in the process. It was fun, feeling like part of such a big family and she could easily pretend that she was another sister just sharing memories and joking around.

They walked from Curry Village to the Happy Isles trailhead and followed the Merced River for a bit, crossing at a wooden footbridge where Bella took a few pictures of Vernal Falls in the distance with the disposable camera that Kate had insisted she needed for the trip. She took a few selfies and a group photo on her phone to send to Jacob and Sam that evening before the group continued on. The trail was fairly crowded as they climbed the rock stairs up beside Vernal Falls and they had to stop to put on their newly purchased rain ponchos halfway up, already soaked by the mist at that point.

Tanya had been right, the views were phenomenal. Bella had to admit that she probably never would have walked the trails if she hadn't met the Denali's; she would have just found a good place to fish and then been on her way. Instead, she was walking through some otherworldly mists beside a massive waterfall, surrounded by huge trees and massive craggy rocks that rose to the heavens. It was beyond beautiful.

They reached the top and after taking more pictures from the edge, they sat down on the ground and Eleazar broke out the bear canister from his pack, passing out bags of trail mix and granola bars.

"So where are you planning on heading after Yosemite?" Irina asked, popping a handful of raisins into her mouth.

Bella shrugged, nibbling on the end of a cashew. "Honestly, I'm not a hundred percent sure. I know that I want to stop at the Grand Canyon. Probably go to St. Louis and get some pictures from the top of the Arch and start heading for Florida after that." Bella chuckled, "I haven't really thought it out. I just got in the car and took off."

"If you're going to the Grand Canyon anyway, you should check out the London Bridge and pick up Old Route 66 from there," Kate suggested. "It's only a few hours away from where you're going and it's pretty cool."

"You could stop in Las Vegas on the way to Arizona," Tanya grinned. "Live it up in Sin City and all that."

Bella rolled her eyes. "What am I gonna do in Vegas, Tan? I'm not old enough to gamble or drink and I'm not trekking across the desert to see a dam."

"They've got roller coasters on top of skyscrapers, though!" Tanya bounced a little in excitement. "You could bungee jump off of a thousand story building right over the Las Vegas strip!"

Bella paled at the thought and the others laughed at her expression. Eleazar elbowed Carmen with a grin on his face. "When we eloped to Vegas, Carmen practically had to drag me up to the top of the Stratosphere to get on those damn rides. She is definitely the daredevil in this marriage."

Carmen laughed at the memory. "Oh God, he screamed like a little girl when we went on the Insanity. But I gotta tell you, by the time we went on each ride once, he was the one dragging me back to go on them again."

Bella shivered, shaking her head. "I'd die of fright on one of those!"

"But you said you used to go cliff diving all the time!" Irina argued, her hands waving in the air for emphasis. "It's probably safer to bungee jump in Vegas than jump off a cliff in Washington. At least there's a harness."

Tanya nodded in agreement. "She's right, Bella. You're already a daredevil! Stop in Vegas on your way to Arizona and send us a picture of you on those damn crazy rides."

"We'll see," Bella finally relented, trying to push the thought of hanging off a skyscraper over the Las Vegas strip out of her head. "What other destinations you got for me?"

"Austin, Texas," Kate spoke up, standing up and wiping her hands on her pants. "Awesome food, awesome music."

"New Orleans," Tanya suggested. "Beignets, killer coffee and voodoo."

"Branson, Missouri," Irina offered, earning funny smirks from her sisters. "What? So I like country music! Sue me!"

They all laughed, following Kate's lead and standing up. The group grabbed their gear, disposed of their trash, and continued on the trail to Nevada Falls.

*.*.*

Bella and the Denali's got back to Curry Village early that evening. They dropped their gear off at their respective cabins and headed for dinner at the Pizza Deck.

"So what time are you heading out fishing in the morning?" Bella asked, helping herself to a slice of pepperoni.

"Around four," Carmen answered. "You gonna make it, Swan?"

Bella chuckled. "My Dad was an avid fisherman and I was a Daddy's Girl. We were out on the boat fishing by three thirty some mornings. Dad always said that anybody who cast their lines after sunrise were too lazy to deserve a catch."

Eleazar nodded in agreement, his smile wide. "Smart man."

Bella's smile softened and her heart warmed up pleasantly. "He was."

Kate held up her Dr. Pepper. "Then we dedicate tomorrow's fishing excursion to Chief Charlie Swan. May he guide the trout to our lines and we make him proud."

"To Chief Charlie Swan!"

*.*.*

Nothing soothed Bella more than the feeling of the misty air on her skin and the smell of damp grass in the early morning twilight. She couldn't help but smile as she cast out her line, watching the little silver lure glint in the moonlight as it sailed through the air before slicing into the river before her. She found a flat rock to sit on and lazily started reeling the line back in, taking her time.

Her new friends were spaced out along their chosen stretch of riverbank. Carmen was about two hundred yards downstream, sitting on her own rock with her line already cast. Eleazar was a little further down, having found a rock jutting out of the water that he was standing on as he cast further out away from the others to keep from crowding everybody else. Kate was sitting lotus style in a fold out chair, wrapped in a parka and hoodie with her arms pulled up in her sleeves for warmth. Only her hands were exposed, since reeling in gloves wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world.

It was Irina that made Bella chuckle. The young woman had brought along a fold out chaise lounge and was bundled up in a sweater, yoga pants and a purple Snuggie. She had cast her own line, slipping the fishing pole through the cup holder of her lounge to keep it upright, and then promptly dozed off.

Tanya appeared to her left, handing Bella a cup of coffee before glancing over whatever made her new friend laugh. She rolled her eyes at her younger sister, but her face was full of love. "Irina loves the outdoors, but not really until after the sun rises. Beauty sleep and all that."

Bella nodded in thanks at the coffee offering, taking a sip before setting the cup on the rock beside her. "I admit to being guilty of that myself at times. I would always get up early with my dad to head to the river, but a lot of times, I would nap in the boat for about an hour before actually getting down baiting the hook. By the time I would get started, Dad would already be up about three or four fish."

Tanya grinned and Bella scooted over on the rock to make room for her. The blonde sat down, wrapping her own hands around her hot coffee cup. "I was never able to do that. When we were younger, Kate and I were incredibly competitive when it came to anything. If she ran 5 miles, I had to run 10. If she caught a fish, I had to catch 2. It drove her nuts, which is probably why I did it," she shook her head ruefully. "Of course, as we got older, we had to join forces against Irina, so we weren't really competing amongst ourselves anymore. Now, we just enjoy being together and enjoying different places."

Bella sighed, reeling her lure back in before swinging her arm slightly to cast the line again. "I wish I'd had siblings. Being an only child was nice for awhile, getting all the attention from my parents and everything. But after they were gone, I just desperately wanted someone who shared the same memories I did. Jacob was great, he's been my best friend since diapers, but it wasn't the same as having someone who had witnessed all the same things I had."

"I never thought about it that way," Tanya admitted, staring out at the water. "Our father passed before Irina was born, so I don't remember a whole lot about him. Just that he was built like a bear and smelled like snow and pipe tobacco. When our Mom died from cancer a few years ago, I guess we kind of took for granted that we would have each other to cling to. By that time, Carmen was already out of college and she moved nearby to help out around the house. And then she married Eleazar and we had the fatherly big brother around. Looking back, I don't know if I would have made it without them." Tanya sighed sadly, bringing her cup to her lips. "I'm sorry you didn't have the kind of support system you deserved. I can't even imagine your situation."

Bella bumped her side into Tanya's playfully, careful not to spill their coffee's all over themselves. "It could have been much worse. I might not have had Jacob as my rock. Honestly, I don't know where I'd be without him."

"Is it hard being away from him now?"

"A little bit," Bella admitted. "Sometimes I wake up and look for him in the room, and then remember that he's not there. But I'm so glad he and Sam were able to get away. They deserve some happy."

"Did you text him those pictures from yesterday?" Tanya half stood, reaching for her own pack and fishing rod before settling back beside Bella.

"I did," Bella chuckled, remembering how she had texted the first selfie to him and less than 15 seconds later, the phone was ringing and his number was showing on the Caller ID. "He called me right after I sent him the first picture of myself and lectured me on the dangers of hiking alone in a strange place. I don't think he realized how many people were there at the same time. But then I sent the other pics of all of us and he seemed to calm down a bit." Bella snorted before bringing her coffee cup to her lips. "He asked me if he needed to run a background check on all of you."

Tanya laughed, snipping the excess line from the lure she was tying. "You never know Bella-Girl, we Denali's could be a vicious pack of bloodsucking vampires."

"True. I did see that Kate had some pretty fierce looking fangs going on in that mouth of hers."

Tanya snorted. "They used to be worse when we were kids. She boob punched me once when I called her Dracula."

Luckily Bella had already swallowed the mouthful of cooling coffee and avoided a choking fit. "It's funny, I've known you guys less than 24 hours and I can picture her doing that to you."

"We are a crazy bunch. Damn near certifiable."

The fish started biting not long after, and Bella found herself in the middle of a competition between herself, Kate and Eleazar. By the time lunch time rolled around, Bella was ahead one rainbow trout, which she proudly showed off to the camera as Tanya snapped a picture on her phone before she released the fish back into the river.

They abandoned their fishing to find food, later going back out to a few more spots along the Merced River, Eleazar desperate to catch more fish than "Little Bella-Girl". By the time they returned to Curry Village late that afternoon, Bella had him beat by two rainbow trout, a brown trout, and a smallmouth bass.

"I can't believe I lost to a girl," Eleazar moaned, grinning to let Bella know that he was just messing with her.

Bella winked at him playfully. "I learned from the Master. You really had no chance."

They all laughed as they made their way to the public restrooms to wash their hands before heading out for dinner.

Bella stayed another two days, joining the Denali's on their hike up to Half Dome, where they carried collapsible fishing poles in their backpacks to see what they could catch and release there, while Carmen and Eleazar climbed up the side of Half Dome.

On Bella's last night at Yosemite, Tanya, Kate and Irina stayed the night in her cabin, giving Carmen and Eleazar a night to themselves in their tent cabin. They lounged on the big bed, going through all the pictures that Bella had taken and took turns talking on the phone to Jacob and Sam. They all fell asleep in a tangle of arms and legs on the bed while telling cheesy ghost stories.

Bella was the first to wake up the following morning and couldn't help but take a few pictures of Kate, who had fallen off the bed sometime during the night and had rolled herself up in the rug on the floor for warmth. She snapped a few more pictures of all three of her new friends, making sure not to miss anything from this moment.

She was a little bit sad to be leaving, but she had a whole country to explore. And she knew that she would be keeping in touch with the Denali's. They had invited her to their house in Alaska to visit any time, and they made plans to meet back at Yosemite the following year.

After spending the last few years feeling so lonely, clinging to Jacob because he was familiar and safe, she felt incredibly proud of this first stop in her explorations. She had made lifelong friends in the span of a few hours and she had to admit, it felt pretty damn good.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.**_

 _ **This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.**_

 _ **Author's Note: Since I have never been to Las Vegas myself, all of the sites and shops that are in this chapter are strictly from my YouTube knowledge. The Oxygen Bar at the Stratosphere is based off of a different oxygen bar on the Las Vegas strip, since I couldn't find that particular one online.**_

CHAPTER FOUR

 _"You can stand under my umbrella ella ella eh eh eh, under my umb-er-ellla ella ella eh eh eh,"_ Bella could care less that the windows of the Volvo were rolled down and she was belting out Rihanna like a lunatic. It was about 95 degrees outside, the wind was blowing through her hair and she could just see the Las Vegas skyline in the distance.

After leaving Yosemite two days before, she decided to make a pit stop in Las Vegas, swallow her fear, and bungee jump off a fucking skyscraper. She knew without a doubt that when she sent the pictures to the Denali's, her new friends would be cheering for her. She also knew that when she sent them to Jacob and Sam, her dear friends would be calling immediately to tell her what a crazy thing it was for her to take a flying leap off an 800 plus foot building.

Bella didn't know if she was more excited or more terrified at the thought. But damn it, she was going to do it.

The drive to her next destination was definitely a culture shock. Feeling adventurous, she had decided to forego the highway and instead, drove through Death Valley; a far, _far_ cry from rainy green Forks. Bella had never imagined that desert could be beautiful, but nothing had prepared her for the vastness of it. She had stopped on the side of the road to take picture after picture and was grateful that Tanya had given her half a dozen disposable cameras as a "goodbye and have a fucking amazing trip" gift.

She had spent the night at a hotel in Stovepipe Wells before waking up in time to watch the sunrise. She had used an entire roll of film just for that sight, before grabbing breakfast and getting back on the road.

Las Vegas rose like a mirage in front of her, some kind of bright neon kingdom in the middle of the sand. When she turned and found herself on the Las Vegas Strip, her eyes widened in wonder. Traffic was congested, so between the stop and crawl, she was able to get an eyeful of the sights surrounding her. After driving through desert for the past day and a half, Bella was almost overwhelmed by the crush of people and buildings. There were _roller coasters_ weaving between buildings shaped like _castles_ for crying out loud! It looked like somebody designed the place after a really crazy acid trip.

She drove past New York, New York, the Eiffel Towers at Paris, the fountains at the Bellagio and even with the bright, crazy drunken playground surrounding her, she could make out her destination in the distance, standing above all the rest. She swallowed hard, seeing just how tall the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino really was.

"You're jumping off that son of a bitch, Bella Swan," she muttered to herself.

She was also staying there. From her room at Stovepipe Wells the night before, she had called and reserved a room for three nights at the Stratosphere, figuring she would at least save some money on her death defying activities with their discount.

An hour later, she was in her room sprawled out on the insanely comfortable bed, relishing in the wonders of air conditioning. While the heat outside was a treat for her, she could only handle it in small amounts. It took baby steps to get used to something like that.

Bella flipped through the mass of brochures she had brought up from the lobby. She was planning on checking out a few places her first day in Vegas. She knew her first stop would be for a laptop and a digital camera. With all the pictures she planned to take on this adventure, she would spend all of her money on disposable cameras alone. She also wanted to be able to download all her pictures so she could email them to her friends.

After a short nap, Bella went to the lobby and asked for directions the nearest Apple Store, stepping out into the dry heat to make the short walk to the SDX stop. From there, she rode to Fashion Show mall and in a very un-Bella like fashion, spent a few hours shopping. She purchased an iMac and a digital camera, a few pairs of jeans each from Lucky Brand Jeans and True Religion, and went on a mini tee shirt spree at Hot Topic and the Gap. After stopping at Great Wraps for an early dinner, she added a pair of Chucks and a pair of Vans to her new wardrobe, shampoo and body wash from Bath and Body Works, a giant box of chocolates from Godiva, and a new duffel bag from Dick's Sporting Goods to pack everything in. By the time her taxi dropped her off back at the hotel, she was exhausted.

She fell asleep early with the hotel's Vegas tourism channel on the TV and woke up around nine the following morning. Her plan for the day was to check out the rides and the Sky Jump, and the nerves in her stomach made eating breakfast impossible, not to mention the very real possibility of heaving off the side of one of the rides. Bella showered and dressed in a new pair of denim shorts and a tee shirt, slathered sunscreen all over herself and made her way out of the room and towards the Tower.

Bella had discovered from the tourist TV channel that the Sky Jump Store was on the second level near the casino, in the Tower Shops. She got caught up in the Chinese Street Bazaar look of the mall, going from store to store and making a mental note to stop at a few shops for some souvenirs. She stopped outside of a shop called Breathe and just stared in confusion at the sight through the windows.

"What the fuck is an oxygen bar?" She wondered aloud.

An amused laugh behind her caught her attention and she turned to see a young, attractive couple standing nearby. They were both taller than her, which wasn't difficult, with beautiful dark hair and eyes and smooth brown skin. The woman shook her head, a look of apology on her lovely face.

"I'm sorry for laughing," she apologized, grinning at Bella. "You just said that aloud and it made me think of the first time I saw this place too."

Bella chuckled, relieved that she wasn't the only one confused by an oxygen bar. "Not a problem. I guess it just caught me off guard that they charge for oxygen in this place, too."

The man smiled, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "This is Vegas, where nothing is free, not even the air." He nodded towards the store. "Actually, it is a pretty cool place."

"The inhalers are great, there's one for hangovers that actually works."

Bella was confused again, looking between the couple and the windows again. "Inhalers? Like asthma inhalers?"

"Nope, come on and check it out," the woman grinned, walking towards the door, pulling the man behind her. "Trust me, it's awesome."

Bella shrugged, figuring she was in no rush to jump to her possible death. She followed the pair into the shop, taking in the bar with machines on the top that closely resembled the slushy machines in gas stations. Each machine had four glass cylinders of different colored liquids. Two women were already seated in front of their own machines, wearing clear nasal cannula's on their faces while a few of the cylinders had liquid bubbling away.

The couple stopped near the end of the bar and the woman reached sat down at a stool in front of her own machine. Bella sat down beside her, staring at her own machine. Each cylinder was labeled; her machine contained "Sex on the Beach", "Mango", "Relax" and "Sugar Cookie".

"So this is the oxygen," the woman grinned, waving her hands a la Vanna White towards her machine. "You get a cannula and attach it to the machine and you can try out the different scents. It's crazy relaxing, especially if you get a massage at the same time."

Bella eyeballed the machine, admitting to herself that she was more than a little intrigued. "I'm not going to get oxygen high, am I?"

The man chuckled, sitting on a stool on the woman's other side. "A tiny bit, but it's more relaxing than anything. Especially if you've been up all night drinking and haven't had any sleep."

A female employee walked up to them carrying sealed bags with the nasal cannulas and three little iPod looking machines that Bella recognized at a TENS unit. She remembered her mother using one to deliver little electric shocks to her muscles after straining her back one summer.

"Hello, welcome to Breathe," the employee said pleasantly. "Have you ever been to an oxygen bar before?"

"We have," The woman reached out to squeeze her male companion's arm. "But our friend here hasn't yet," she turned to Bella, rolling her eyes slightly. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I don't even know your name! I just hogged the conversation and didn't even introduce myself!"

Bella laughed, holding out her hand. "You're fine. I'm Bella."

The woman grinned, shaking her hand. "I'm Tia and this is my husband, Benjamin."

Benjamin reached over his wife to shake Bella's hand. "Nice to meet you, Bella. Please excuse my wife; she's pretty excitable in the mornings."

The employee introduced herself as Shana, and handed the cannulas to Tia and Benjamin while showing Bella how to open hers and put hers on. She attached each cannula to a machine and explained how they worked before attaching the TENS pads to different points of their upper backs. With the little electro-shock machine in her hand to control and a tiny plastic spigot in each nostril, Bella felt like she was making another visit to the ER after injuring herself.

"Honestly, I feel like I'm in some chic little medical clinic," she joked, watching as Tia and Ben turned their oxygen machines on. She decided to start off slow, and flipped the switch for "Sugar Cookie".

Benjamin chuckled, flipping all four switches on his machine, a bit like an excited little kid who couldn't decide what kind of candy he wanted. "We probably do look pretty silly to the people outside," he admitted. "There's an oxygen bar kiosk at one of the hotel malls and it is pretty amusing to see everybody around it, wearing medical equipment and breathing in scented air. Looks like they're inhaling an Orange Julius."

Tia chuckled, flipping the switch on "Hangover" while Bella turned her little shock machine on a low setting. Strange little tingles started at her shoulders, moving outwards from the pad locations and her eyes rolled back in her head. "That is what I needed."

As the oxygen flowed through her cannula, she could actually taste sugar cookie in the back of her throat. After a couple minutes, she switched to "Relax". "We'll see if this relaxes me before I go to the Sky Jump Store."

Tia looked over at her, her dark eyes shining. "We're doing that today, too! That's why I got drunk last night, the thought of it freaked me out and I needed a little liquid courage!"

Bella laughed, excited that she would not be alone in her crazy bungee jumping glory. "Unfortunately, I'm not old enough to drink, so I didn't get that option."

"Benjamin's parents are here with us, but they haven't left the casino back at the hotel since we got here yesterday morning," Tia shook her head, grinning lovingly at her husband. "I hate gambling. I lost twenty dollars in a slot machine once and was depressed for the entire day thinking about what I could have done with the money instead of blowing it."

Benjamin reached over and tugged his wife over to plant a loud, smacking kiss on her cheek. "I married such a brilliant woman! At least I know she won't bet our savings away at the Roulette tables."

Tia grinned widely. "I may put us in the poor house at the Daiquiri bar, though." She turned her seat slightly towards Bella. "Are you here with family or by yourself?"

"By myself," Bella replied, changing her setting on the TENS unit to medium. She had to admit, between the lavender scented air she was breathing in and the tense and release shocks on her back, she was feeling pretty damn good. "Some friends suggested I stop here and jump off the Stratosphere and try out the rides."

"We should go up together!" Tia suggested, and Benjamin nodded behind her, his eyes twinkling. "We could cheer each other on and scream in unison on the rides!"

"That would be great!" Bella agreed, feeling a little bit better at the thought of jumping now.

"Have you checked out the Adventuredome at Circus Circus yet?" Benjamin asked.

"Not yet. I got in yesterday, did some shopping and went to bed early."

"Ungh!" Bella laughed at the Master P style grunt that came out of Tia at that moment. "We went to Adventuredome last year and it was awesome! It's an indoor theme park; some roller coasters and carnival style games and rides. We should go once we try out the rides here and make our jumps."

"I'm game," Bella grinned.

*.*.*

Bella watched through the observation glass as Benjamin sailed off the platform and dropped 108 floors to the ground. She swallowed hard, turning to Tia, who was watching beside her. "I think I need another hit of oxygen."

Tia laughed, her beautiful dark eyes sparkling with excitement. "Oh my God, Bella, me too! If there was anything left in my stomach from last night, it would be all over the glass right now!"

Bella was slightly jealous of Tia's "nerves". While Bella was trembling like a weak kitten in her fear, Tia's anxiety came off like happy fun times. She couldn't be too upset, though. Tia reminded her a bit of the Denali's, open and sweet and so much fun.

The three of them had signed up together and taken the quick instruction training before changing into their jump suits. Bella had chosen the Wrist Video package that included a wrist cam, video of her jump and digital photos that she would get on a USB stick when she was finished. She even had a "video interview" before taking the elevator to the top, where the attendant joked with her on camera and asked her if she had any last words for family and friends. She couldn't wait to email the video and pictures to her friends.

One of the employees came over, looking over the two jumpsuit and harness clad girls before him. "Who's next?"

Bella and Tia looked at each other and Tia grinned. "Bella here can go next. I'm afraid that if I go first, she'll make a run for the elevator."

"Bitch," Bella muttered, unable to stop the grin from forming. Tia laughed and swept her hands towards the door to the jumping platform. "Go take a flying leap, Swan. Or a Swan Dive! Ha! Get it? _Swan_ dive?"

Bella groaned, shaking her head in false disappointment. "That was horrible, Tia. Horrible!"

Still, she was chuckling as she made her way through the door and to the open platform. As the employee hooked her up and checked her harnesses, she held her wrist up and looked directly into the wrist cam. "Jacob, Sam and Denali's, I dedicate this jump to you guys. And Tanya, Kate and Irina, if I die, it's all your fault because this was your idea."

The employee had her turn and smile at the camera and she made a dorky thumbs up sign before following the man's directions and grasping the rails on either side of her body.

"Now step forward so the tops of your feet are hanging off the edge," the man said and Bella took a deep breath, looking out at the busy strip below her and the mountains in the distance. Her hands were trembling and sweaty and her heart was pounding so loudly she was amazed she could even hear the instructions. She stepped forward, clutching the rails tightly. "Okay, when I say 'go', you let go and step off."

Bella nodded, too terrified to speak. The jerk counted to three and said "Go" before she could blink and without pausing to think, she jumped off the platform with her arms held out wide.

Her stomach dropped and the feeling of free falling combined with the rushing noise from the air and the sight of the ground coming closer had her screaming bloody murder at the top of her lungs. Almost instantly, though, the fear morphed into intense excitement and her screams became laughs of pure joy.

"Best idea ever!" she shrieked as the ground came closer. The hydraulic harness slowed her down a bit and the attendant on the ground shouted a reminder to have her feet down.

"What did you think, Bella?" The attendant asked for the camera when she was on solid ground. Bella couldn't stop laughing, her adrenaline at an all time high. "Better than cliff diving!"

When she was unhooked from the harness, she ran over to the side where Benjamin was waiting. He grinned widely at her, giving her a high five.

"Nice jump, Bella," he praised.

Bella couldn't stop laughing. "Holy shit, I want to do it again!"

His laughter joined hers as they looked up, watching the harness move up the line towards the platform where they knew Tia was waiting to jump. Bella couldn't help but bounce in excitement for her friend.

A few minutes later, she watched as Tia sailed down the line, the other woman's shouted curses reaching her ears all the way from the top. She cracked up along with Benjamin as Tia reached solid ground, a string of profanities still coming out of her mouth in an excited stream.

"Fucking amazing!" Tia shouted, making her way over to them. "Swear to God, I think I came a little bit!"

Benjamin laughed harder, pulling his wife into a bear hug. "That was the hottest thing I've ever seen, love."

Tia was still laughing as she planted a loud kiss on his lips before turning to Bella and throwing her arms around her. "That was awesome Swan Dive! You killed it!"

Bella groaned at the nickname, but she was still so high from the adrenaline that nothing could bother her. "I feel like I could do anything right now," she admitted, hugging Tia back. "Hell, I may just get a tattoo or a piercing today."

"You might want to hold off on something so permanent until you come down from your high," Benjamin joked as they made their way back inside the Sky Jump Store to change.

Tia's eyes lit up and she grabbed Bella's arm. "We could get henna tattoos, though! They're not permanent and they are so freaking cool! My cousin was married in India and she had the most beautiful henna designs done on her hands and feet. It only lasts a week or so and best part, no blood!"

Bella immediately agreed, and they planned to look for a henna tattoo shop later on that afternoon. They parted to change back into their clothes and Bella picked up her USB stick with her pictures and video of her jump.

The trio purchased Tower admission and all day passes and rode the elevator back up to the 109th floor. They rode the three rides two times each before breaking for lunch and pigging out at the buffet. Afterwards, they braved the heat to walk almost a mile to Circus Circus Adventuredome and spent the rest of the afternoon going from roller coaster to roller coaster and Benjamin won a giant stuffed Elvis for Tia at one of the carnival games.

After dinner, they found a henna tattoo parlor on the Strip and Benjamin sat and held their purses as Bella and Tia chose their designs and got their tattoos. Bella chose a flowery vine that ran from the lower half of her thumb, down to her wrist and around like a bracelet. Tia's was a bit more elaborate, and ran from the top and side of her foot and up to her knee. They even chose little rhinestone embellishments to accent the flowers.

Bella studied her tattoo while Tia was getting hers finished up. "This is awesome! I wouldn't mind having this permanent at all."

Tia held her leg out, wiggling her toes and admiring the jeweled flower on the top of her foot. "Right? I'd be perfectly fine telling my grandchildren that Grandpa held our purses while Grandma got inked."

They lounged in their chairs, waiting for the ink to dry as Benjamin searched for different shows to see on his phone.

"Hey, there're some seats available tonight to see Blue Man Group," he said, holding up his phone with a grin on his face. "Poncho seating! We could pay to be dipped in paint and flung into a giant canvas!" He kept swiping down further on his phone. "And if we say 'Madame Tussauds' when we go to buy the tickets at the box office, we'll get free admission to the wax museum!"

Bella and Tia looked at each other and burst out into laughter.

"What do you say, Swan Dive? Shall we further explore this 'human art' adventure?"

"You're in luck," Bella teased. "It's been my lifelong dream to be a paintbrush."

*.*.*

The show let out way past midnight and Bella had just hit her third wind. The trio exited the theatre, covered in paint splattered ponchos, laughing hysterically at what they had just witnessed. Bella knew before her trip who the Blue Man Group was; Jacob had been a fan for years, so she knew what they were all about. Listening to a CD, though, and watching the group live was a whole different ballgame. They weren't chosen to be the human paintbrush, but they still got splattered a few different times during the night.

They had also scored free tickets to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum at the Venetian, but it did not open until ten in the morning. None of them were quite ready for the night to end so they headed to a 24 hour bowling alley, where Bella and Tia crashed a Drunk Elvis karaoke party by performing UB40's version of "Can't Help Falling in Love". Benjamin had videoed the entire spectacle on Bella's phone, not missing the performance or the appreciative hoots and hollers from the twenty five plus inebriated Elvis impersonators sitting in the bar. They were so popular that they also performed "Viva Las Vegas" ala the Dead Kennedys as an encore before running off to rent bowling shoes.

4AM found Bella sitting at a booth in an all night diner, shoveling down scrambled eggs and laughing at a slightly drunk Tia who was reliving their karaoke glory on repeat.

"Damn girl," Tia giggled, starting the video from the beginning for a fourth time. "We were sexy as fuck on that stage! Look at them hips!"

Benjamin chuckled, his arm draped over the back of the booth behind Tia. "You're lucky the Elvis' didn't stalk you for autographs."

"We were pretty popular," Bella had never been one who craved the spotlight, and she had never, ever sung karaoke before, but Tia had been very persuasive and she couldn't help but laugh at the irony of their song selections. "At least the guys didn't get pissed off that we sang the covers and not the original versions."

Tia signed happily, finally relinquishing the phone to Bella. "You have got to send me a copy of that, Swan Dive. I'm going to post that shit on Facebook and show off our talent."

After breakfast and still not ready for bed yet, they took a sunrise helicopter tour of the Strip and surrounding areas, followed by a stop at another Oxygen bar for a wake up boost and an aqua massage.

They were at Madame Tussaud's when the doors opened, and Bella took many more photos of her and her new friends posing by wax statues of celebrities. They ate a quick lunch after, making a pit stop at Tia and Benjamin's hotel room at the MGM Grand to grab their swimwear so they could hang out with Bella a little longer at the Stratosphere pool before they went their separate ways and finally crashed for the rest of the day and night.

Slathered in sunscreen and sporting a brand new dark blue bikini, Bella relaxed on the lounge, grateful for the huge umbrella that protected them from the harshest of the sun's rays. The last 29 hours were catching up with her, and it felt good to finally lay back and relax. Tia was a limp noodle in the lounger beside her, and Benjamin was actually snoring away on the other side of his wife.

"This was fantastic," Bella sighed happily, lazily turning her head to look at her friend. "Thank you for inviting me to tag along with you guys. I had a blast."

Tia grinned, her dark eyes hiding behind a huge pair of vintage sunglasses. "Tagging along my ass, we tore this city up, girl! Honestly, this was the most fun we've had in a long time. I was afraid we'd be stuck with Benjamin's parents in the casino or drunk the entire time."

Bella laughed, stretching luxuriously. "I have to come back here in a couple years, though, so I can hit the daiquiri bars."

"Let us know and we'll meet you here," Tia smiled. "We'll take another dive off this damn skyscraper for old time's sake and get drunk in celebration."

"Hell yeah. I'll brush up on my Elvis covers for our next 15 minutes of Karaoke glory."

*.*.*

 _ **Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the awesome reviews! I'm stoked that you're enjoying Bella's adventures with me.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.**_

 _ **This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.**_

CHAPTER FIVE

Bella chuckled to herself as she went through the pages and pages of uploaded photos on her laptop, trying to choose her favorites to go into her online album. She had started a private Facebook page chronicling her adventures, only accessible to Jacob, Sam, and the friends she made along the way who were included in her pictures.

Her pictures from Las Vegas were a huge hit with her friends, particularly the Denali's. Tanya, Kate, and Irina were extremely vocal about her Vegas adventures, and had become online friends with Tia and Benjamin to get the inside scoop on her tower jump and impromptu karaoke show. Jacob had been an anxious mess when he saw the video of her jump, scolding her like a parent at her "dangerous actions". He only stopped when Tanya had commented, teasing him about his dangerous cliff diving habit that he passed onto Bella. It was amazing to see her friends, both new and old, communicating together online.

A month had passed since Bella had left Las Vegas, and she had posted many more photos of her trip. White water rafting on the Colorado River with Alistair, the "sexy tour guide"- according to Irina; riding a mule down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon with Siobhan and Liam- the sweet thirty something couple from Belfast, celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. She posted pictures of London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, Arizona and the UFO Museum in Roswell, New Mexico. There were numerous photos of the vintage trailer she stayed in at the El Cosmico campground in Marfa, Texas. Photos of her lounging on the deck of the trailer with Bree and Riley, a young hippie couple that taught her how to roll clove cigarettes. A few pictures of her and Bree posing in front of "Prada, Marfa", an art installation in the middle of the desert of a fully stocked mini Prada store.

There were photos of her weeklong stay in Austin, Texas. The friends she'd made- Peter and Charlotte, on break from Northwestern University- the Continental Club, where she spent more than a few nights listening to live blues. The food truck that served the tacos that Bella and Peter had survived on for four days before the smell of cumin turned their stomachs; live jazz at One World Theatre; dancing at Zilker park with Charlotte while attending 'Blues on the Green' one night.

Peter and Charlotte, Bree and Riley, Siobhan and Liam, and even Alistair "the sexy tour guide", were all a part of Bella's Facebook adventure page, all commenting on her different photos and communicating between each other, getting the 'inside scoop' on what she was doing when they were not there to see for themselves. It was amazing to see them all becoming friends before her very eyes.

Bella finished uploading her photos from her two days in Branson, Missouri before leaning back in her king sized bed with a sigh of satisfaction. She was currently staying at the Crowne Plaza in downtown St. Louis, stuffed full of the local toasted ravioli and looking forward to her visit to the Arch and the St. Louis zoo the following day. It was Tuesday, and she had reservations for a weeklong stay at a cabin in Gatlinburg, Tennessee starting on Thursday evening. She was slowly making her way to Florida and from there; she wasn't sure where she was going.

As much as she was enjoying her cross country road trip, she was getting a bit lonely on her own. True, she made new friends at most places she traveled to, but she only left them after a few days, heading onto a new adventure. Bella was thinking about staying longer in Florida, maybe finding an apartment to rent for a while. She wasn't sure where, but she figured that she would know when she got there.

Her phone ringing brought her out of her thoughts and she reached for it on the nightstand, grinning when she saw Jacob's picture on the screen.

"You online just waiting for updates, Jake," she teased, glancing at her open laptop at the foot of the bed.

"A country music show, Bells? Really?" Jacob teased, making Bella laugh. "I thought I taught you to enjoy better music than that."

"It was Irina's idea," Bella argued. And it was kinda on the way to St. Louis from Austin."

"I guess I can't complain too much," he said. "At least you're not jumping off of skyscrapers or white water rafting with strangers."

Bella rolled her eyes. "I survived both, didn't I?" She got comfortable on the bed, pulling the blankets up over her feet. Despite the intense heat outside, the air conditioning unit was hard at work turning the room into a freezer. She was feeling too lazy to get up and turn it down. "Are you guys still in Nevada City?"

Jacob and Sam had left Portland while Bella was still at Yosemite. They had driven around, checking out different towns for a couple weeks before stopping in Nevada City, California. Both of them liked the touristy Gold Rush town and the close proximity to the Tahoe National Forest.

"Yeah, we're still here," Jacob grew quiet for a minute. "We rented a little house last week. This might be the place, Bells."

Bella's eyes watered slightly at the tone of her dearest friend's voice. "Feels kind of like home?"

"Yeah, it really does. Our landlord is an old guy, runs his own mechanic shop down the street. He's getting up there and thinking about selling…"

"Really?" Bella sat up, excited at Jacob's words. "Are you and Sam going to buy it?"

Jacob chuckled at her excitement. "Actually, we're gonna work there for a bit. Tom doesn't want to sell to just anybody, he wants to make sure the buyer's know what they're doing." He cleared his throat. "But it's looking good. He likes our work so far. He's been admiring your truck a lot."

Bella growled playfully. "Don't be selling my baby, Jacob Black! I will be back for it someday!"

He laughed. "I'd never sell the Beast. He just likes to drool over it. I think he noticed it before he even noticed me and Sam standing there."

There was a moment of silence and Bella relished in the sound of Jacob's breathing. Even though they spoke to each other every few days, she missed seeing his face on a daily basis.

"So you're in St. Louis now," he asked, changing the subject to her.

"Yep, lounging in my giant bed in the Crowne Plaza," she teased. "I'm checking out the Arch and the zoo tomorrow. I have a reservation for a week in Gatlinburg Tennessee in a few days. Going to start slowly making my way to Florida."

"What's the agenda for Florida?"

"I'm just going to wing it." She admitted. "Maybe Orlando and Tampa. Maybe Miami. I think I'd like to check out the Keys. Hell, maybe some place will grab me like Nevada City did for you and Sam, and I'll stay for a while."

"We miss you," Jacob said suddenly and she could hear the sadness creep into his voice. "I miss you. If you ever get sick of traveling, you know you're always welcome here with us. There's even an extra bedroom for you to stay in."

Bella sniffled, a tear escaping in a trail down her cheek. There were some days that she missed Jacob so much that it hurt. "I miss you, too. I've met some amazing people on my stops, but none of them are you. You've been my home for so long, it's hard to get used to being so far away."

"I hate not being able to watch over you," he admitted. "I know you can take care of yourself, but I can't help it."

"I'll be fine, Jake. I've done fairly well so far."

"You have. Although I could wring Tanya and Kate's necks for talking you into that damn Las Vegas jump," he joked. Partially.

Bella laughed through her tears. "But if I hadn't have gone to Las Vegas to make that jump, I never would have met Tia and Benjamin and I wouldn't have become the karaoke sensation I am today."

Jacob's laugh rang out loudly and she smiled, happy to hear the sadness melt away from his voice. "You had a room full of drunken Elvis' in love with you, from what Benjamin says."

"Well duh. I'm all kinds of sexy, don't you know?"

They talked for a few more minutes before saying goodbye. Bella plugged her phone and laptop in to charge and fell back on the bed with a sigh. Yes, she desperately missed Jacob. He was the one constant in her life, her only family. She knew that she needed to get out and experience life, and she had loved every minute of it so far, but sometimes she wondered if she should just say enough and head back to her constant.

Only time would tell.

*.*.*

The views from the Arch were beautiful and Bella took dozens of photos from the top. At the zoo, she strolled leisurely from exhibit to exhibit, taking photos of every animal she saw. It was a nice outing, but Bella was still weary from all the driving. She left the zoo mid afternoon, stopping for some more toasted ravioli to take back to her room, where she ate and watched TV until she fell asleep.

The next morning, she left St. Louis, heading through Illinois and Kentucky and into Tennessee. On the drive between Clarksville and Nashville, the clouds in the west started to get dark and threatening, the radio warning about severe storms expected in the area for later that day. She made it to Nashville before the heavens opened up, sending solid sheets of rain down in torrents. Bella could barely see sign for the next exit, but she carefully managed her way off I-24 and into the parking lot of a Holiday Inn Express. She ran from the car and into the lobby, getting drenched in the ten seconds she was in the rain.

The room was standard, clean and dry, and Bella immediately towel dried off before pulling on a warm pair of sweats to ward off the chill. Grabbing the remote off the nightstand, she turned on The Weather Channel before going to the window to watch the worsening storm outside. A giant Waffle House sign caught her attention and her stomach growled at the thought of smothered, covered and capped hash browns and peanut butter pecan waffles. She was considering getting back out in the storm to fill up on greasy goodness, but the wind picked up and lightning streaked across the sky and she decided that vending machine fare might be the way to go instead.

Settling on the bed with her laptop, she logged into her Facebook account and updated her location to her friends. In the background, the meteorologist on TV warned of tornado warnings in the south and heavy rains with flooding a possibility for the next couple of days and Bella cursed at the thought of the weather keeping her stuck in the hotel instead of lazing in a cabin on the other end of the state.

Thunder crashed outside, shaking the building and her frustration at being stuck in Nashville was immediately replaced with nerves. Bella was not usually afraid of storms, but being alone in a strange place with the threat of tornados had not crossed her mind when she set out on her trip.

Digging her cell phone out of her purse, she dialed Jacob's number, breathing in a sigh of relief at the calming sound of his voice.

"You okay, Bells?"

She sighed, leaning back against the headboard. "Just holed up in a Holiday Inn with a raging storm outside. I'm not interrupting you at work or anything, am I?"

"Nope, it's my day off. And you can interrupt me any time." He assured her. "Where are you stuck at?"

"Nashville. And there's a Waffle House across the street calling my name, but I just dried off from my run from the parking lot to the hotel," Bella pouted, reveling in the sound of his warm laugh in her ear. She could hear the sound of his fingers tapping on a keyboard and his laugh morphed into a groan.

"From the radar, it looks like you might become well acquainted with your room. You might want to push your reservation back a day or so in Gatlinburg."

She glanced at the TV, catching the local radar on the screen. "I'll probably call them tonight before I go to bed. The weather guy said it could last a few days."

"Just be careful," Jacob warned. "Now, onto happier subjects. Tell me about the zoo."

Bella chuckled and went into detail about the St Louis attractions, focusing the most on the toasted ravioli and Ted Drewes frozen custard she indulged in. "Swear to God, Jake, when I find a place to stay for awhile, I'm gonna learn how to make that shit and mail it to you in dry ice. It was orgasmic."

"I'll eat whatever you send me. I love Sam to death, but the boy can't cook for shit. I'd kill for a pan of your lasagna."

Bella laughed. "Well you could have cooked it yourself if you paid attention when I offered to teach you how to make it. But _nooooo_ , you went all 'me man, you woman' on me."

"I have no problem with the manly grilling, Bells, but that fancy shit is woman's work," he teased her. She just rolled her eyes at the familiar comment he would always try to piss her off with.

They talked for a little bit longer, until the storm died down a little outside and Bella's stomach growled loudly. "We're getting a break in the rain, I'm gonna run across the street for food before it starts up again."

"Be careful," he warned her again. "And call me before you go to bed to let me know you're okay."

She agreed before hanging up, grabbing her purse and keys to make a run for her dinner while the rain was a little more tolerable.

The storms lasted for two and a half days before the sun finally made an appearance. A few tornadoes touched down during that time, the closest one about ten miles away, but thankfully, nobody was hurt. Bella was relieved to finally get back on the road.

The drive was beautiful the further east she went. She made a pit stop in Knoxville to take pictures of the Sunsphere and the World's Largest Rubik's Cube before walking around and exploring the World's Fair Park and Market Square. She stopped for lunch at Café 4, indulging in fried green tomatoes and shrimp and grits before walking back to her car to get back on the road.

The rain started up again about ten miles outside of Knoxville, getting heavier the closer she got to Gatlinburg. Halfway there, she was white knuckling the steering wheel, listening intently to the weather on the radio. Another round of storms was rolling through, sparking up back near Cookeville and moving east in her direction.

Bella drove on for a few more miles before traffic slowed to a crawl, the glare of red and blue lights catching her attention further up ahead. It was getting dark fast, heavy gray clouds covering what was left of the waning sunlight and she was afraid of getting stuck on the interstate if more severe weather was about to strike.

Right before traffic came to a standstill, she caught sight of an exit ramp coming up to her right. Hoping to bypass what she figured was a car accident up ahead, she merged into the turn lane and left the interstate, ending up on a narrow two lane road with tree covered hills on one side and the river on the other.

Bella drove slowly, keeping her eyes peeled for anywhere to stop and wait out the storm. Anxiety crept up on her the further she drove with not a building in sight.

"What the fuck," she muttered, turning her wipers on high as she struggled to see through the dark and rain. The river to her right reminded her of the rapids of the Colorado River, the heavy rains making the water lap up over the road. There had to be a gas station somewhere, or at least another road she could take to get her to an exit ramp further up the interstate.

A gust of wind suddenly pushed against her car and an echoing crack outside made her scream. Up ahead, a huge tree seemed to fall from the hillside in slow motion, crashing across the road as Bella's foot slammed down on the brake to keep from hitting it. Her heart plummeted as the tires skidded over the water, the car hydroplaning across the narrow lane. She screamed loudly, desperately trying to turn the steering wheel towards the hill on the left, but the Volvo spun to the right, towards the river that was growing higher by the second.

"Nonononononono," she shrieked, tears of sheer terror filling her eyes as the car spun off the road, the front end going into the river. Water splashed up over the hood as she unhooked her seatbelt with trembling hands, reaching for her purse in the passenger seat, pulling it over her head with her right hand while rolling down her window with the left. The shock of the water made her gasp as she pushed off of the floorboards, using all of her strength to pull herself through the window as the water rushed in with a deafening roar. The car moved swiftly down the flooding river, sinking quickly as she managed to pull herself to the roof.

"Help!" She screamed, clutching the car frame as tightly as she could, looking around wildly for anything to grab a hold of. Up ahead and coming up faster than she thought possible, a small grove of thin trunked trees coming up from the riverbed caught her eye. Bella reached out with one hand and with a prayer to whatever or whoever was listening, she let go of the car completely, grasping at the branches as she shot by.

She barely felt the sharp sting of the branches cutting into the flesh of her hands as the Volvo was swept out from under her, the weight of the water dragging her beneath the surface. She managed to pull her head above water, wrapping an arm around the trunk of the tree as she fought for footing while choking and gasping for breath.

"Please help me, Daddy," she sobbed, holding onto the tree for dear life, trying desperately to pull herself up further. "Daddy, _please_!"

The water was up to her waist, trying to drag her down as her feet pushed against the weight, trying to find anything solid to push against. She wrapped her leg around the trunk, finding a lower branch that held her as she pushed up with her foot while pulling with her arms. Bella managed to move about a foot up the tree, straddling another branch and wrapping both arms around the trunk. Water still flowed over her, but now it was just about mid thigh and she felt slightly more secure with her grip.

Bella leaned her forehead against the tree, letting her sobs overcome her as the direness of her situation hit her full on. She was trapped in a tree in the middle of a river during a flash flood. Her car had been swept away by the current and she was in the middle of bum fucked Egypt all alone.

She reached a trembling hand into her waterlogged purse, grasping her phone, praying that it wasn't destroyed. Bringing it up to her face, another sob escaped her lips when it failed to turn on. She dropped it back into her purse before closing her eyes in defeat.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered. She was starting to feel the cold from the water and exhaustion was creeping through the rush of adrenaline that had ramped up when this nightmare first began. "Daddy…"

A loud honking sound blared suddenly through the noise of the rushing river and her head popped up, her eyes scanning through the dark surrounding her. Through the rain and her tears, she could see a large vehicle on the road, its headlights blinking on and off. Hope filled her and she let go of the tree with one of her arms, waving it above her head.

"Help me!" She shouted, her voice cracking. "I'm out here!"

Bella burst into tears when she heard the most beautiful sound in the world.

"Just hold on, honey! We're going to get you out of there!"

She could see two large figures beside the vehicle and even from this distance, she could tell they were men. One seemed to be built like a bear, tall and wide in the shoulders while the other one was a little taller, but not as bulky. They were the most glorious things she had ever seen.

Bella watched as the taller of the two men pulled on a life jacket while the wide one moved to the front of the vehicle. She closed her eyes for a minute, praying under her breath for another miracle, but the words died in her throat as the branch she was straddling jerked suddenly. Her body jolted and her arms tightened even more around the trunk. She shrieked as the branch gave way completely and she slipped a couple feet down the tree, once again searching desperately for a foothold.

"Help!" She screamed, fighting against the current that pushed against her, water smacking her in the face, making her choke. Her arms were burning from the strain of her grasp, and she screamed as her hands started to slip from the trunk. " _Nonononono_!"

"Don't let go!" The voice was tinged with panic and Bella struggled to secure herself. "I'm coming, honey! Just don't let go!"

"I'm trying!" she sobbed, her toe catching another branch. She tried to push herself back up the tree, but her foot slipped and she went under the water, barely grasping onto the branch now with one hand. She reached back out, grasping for the same branch as her head broke the surface once more. "Daddy!"

Her cry was cut off as she lost her grip completely, the current grabbing at her and dragging her under. She struggled for the surface, kicking desperately and reaching for anything that would ground her. Her arms and legs flailed, water filling her ears and nose as she fought the urge to inhale.

She was swept back into something hard and a strong arm suddenly wrapped around her waist, dragging her up roughly. Her head broke the surface and she gasped for air, choking violently as she swallowed a mouthful of river water.

"I've got you, honey, I've got you," the voice said in her ear. Bella desperately wanted to say something, but all she could manage was another violent coughing fit. A life jacket appeared over her head as her savior quickly and efficiently strapped it on her. "I'm going to bring us back to the shore, just lean back against me and keep your head above water, okay?"

Bella could only nod, exhaustion leaving her a worthless mass of dead weight in the stranger's arms. The arm around her waist never left her as the man slowly fought against the currant, bringing them closer to shore.

Before she knew it, she felt herself being lifted out of the water and cried in relief when she was laid back against solid ground. She opened her eyes and found herself staring into the face of an angel. Beautiful green stared down at her in concern and relief and she felt the comforting weight of a hand on her face before she finally let the darkness claim her.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.**_

 _ **This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.**_

CHAPTER SIX

The first thing Bella registered was warmth.

She reveled in the feeling as consciousness came back to her slowly. Her eyes were incredibly heavy so she decided that opening them wasn't that important at the moment, choosing instead to listen to the strange, muted noises in the background. It almost sounded like the mother in the Charlie Brown movies, an indistinct "roh roh roh".

Bella focused on the rest of her body, slowly wiggling her fingers and toes. There was some pain in her arms, kind of like the time Jacob dared her to lift the hundred pound barbells that he would weight train with. She had been bound and determined to lift those damn barbells, and she had, but the next week had been a lesson in pride and the importance of working up to that kind of weight.

She swallowed, cringing slightly at the raw, razor sharp feeling of her throat, and she could taste the bitterness of the river water she had ingested. What she would give for a toothbrush and toothpaste, or an entire bottle of mouthwash to take that flavor away.

The muted noises in the background slowly became clear, and she recognized them as voices, their words clear but speaking nearby in hushed tones.

"How's she doing?" Her green eyed angel. She would remember that voice for the rest of her life.

"She seems to be doing better. I've bandaged her hands and her lungs are clear, thankfully." That voice she did not recognize, but it had a comforting quality to it. "She'll be sore for a while, she was pretty banged up, but she'll live."

At the man's words, Bella began to register the stinging sensation in her hands, but her body felt too heavy to even attempt to look at the damage. She preferred to focus on the warmth surrounding her and the softness beneath her. And the soothing voice of the angel in the room.

"Emmett said he found her car washed up downriver a ways. He managed to get her bags out of it, but he's not sure if everything is destroyed or not. Her car is totaled, obviously."

"She's lucky she managed to get out of the car before it went under."

"We saw the accident from the bluff," her angel said and she swore she could detect both fear and pride in his voice. "A tree fell across the road and she had to slam on her breaks to avoid hitting it. Of course with the water over the road, she hydroplaned and went into the river. I swear, she was out of that window in about 15 seconds, before Emmett could even start the ambulance."

"Smart girl," the other voice said and a rush of warmth spread through her body at the kind words. She thought back to what her angel had said, describing her accident from his perspective and her heart started pounding, remembering the sheer terror she felt during those moments. Being the only child of a police chief, she had grown up learning how to protect herself in different scenarios. She knew how to bring down an attacker- _"aim for the balls, Bells"_ \- how to shoot a gun- _"pull the trigger on your exhale, kiddo"_ \- how to get her truck out of a snowy ditch- _"never get behind the wheel without a bag of cat litter in the back, Bella"_ – there wasn't a scenario that her father hadn't taught her how to get out of. She remembered when she first got her license at 16, just a few months before her parents were killed, there had been some bad flooding around Forks and a family of four had lost their lives when their car was caught in the floodwaters. Charlie Swan had drilled into his daughter's head how critical those first 30 seconds were once the car went into the water. If she didn't get out of the car before it submerged, her chances of survival would plummet. And if she didn't survive it, he would forever be furious at her for leaving him like that.

She never once thought she would ever end up in that situation. She thanked her father fervently for his teachings for he had just saved her life.

Well, him and the green eyed angel.

Bella shivered at the memory of her accident and shifted slightly, groaning when the movement jarred her hip and a sharp pain shot from her hip to her knee.

The voices stopped and she felt the warmth of a hand on her forehead.

"Can you hear me, honey?"

Bella opened her eyes slowly, once again meeting the deep green. Those eyes belonged to a face that was beyond beautiful. A crooked grin tilted up the corners of the perfectly shaped mouth, making the green sparkle like gems. A shock of messy, damp hair fell over his forehead, somewhat dark in color from the water. He had a day's growth of coppery brown stubble on his strong chin and he looked exhausted. Despite the exhaustion, he looked at her as if she were a giant Christmas present with his name on it.

Bella's stomach fluttered at the thought. Even in her condition, she recognized the wave of lust spiking through her body at the sight of the beautiful man.

"You," she croaked, swallowing hard at the pain in her throat. "You pulled me out of the water."

The man smiled at her, his arm going behind her head, lifting her slightly and bringing a cup with a straw to her mouth. "And you got out of the car and held on for me," he said softly. "Take a sip, but slowly. It will help your throat."

Bella sipped from the straw, expecting water but was pleasantly surprised at the lukewarm tea with honey that she tasted instead. She moaned at the flavor, closing her eyes and taking a few more tiny sips before pulling her head back. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," he lowered her back to the pillow and sat the cup down behind her head. "And I'm so happy to see you awake. I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Bella blushed as he reached out, brushing her hair off of her forehead. She fought the urge to nuzzle into his hand, instead taking a quick glance around the room.

She expected a hospital room, given the turn of events, but it appeared that she was in a bedroom in someone's house. It was a good sized room with a chest of drawers, a desk and a large curtained window. Beside her bed was a nightstand, and the bed she was lying in was large, a Queen sized with luxuriously soft sheets and warm, heavy blue blankets. Bella looked down, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the needle taped to her bandaged hand, and followed the tube up to a bag of clear IV fluid attached to a hook on a stand.

"Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but where am I?"

The man chuckled, sitting back slightly. "You're in my parent's house. My father is a doctor and we thought it was imperative to get you inside and looked after quickly. The roads to the nearest hospital are flooded out, so we didn't want to risk getting stuck." He leaned forward again, staring deeply into her eyes. "I'm Edward Cullen."

Bella cleared her throat, holding out her bandaged hand to him. "Nice to meet you, Edward. I'm Bella Swan."

Edward's smile widened as he took her hand in his and she swallowed hard at how his massive hand seemed to dwarf her own tiny one. When did her hands become so small?

A throat cleared and Bella tore her eyes away from their joined hands, spotting a tall, blond man near the door with a fatherly smile on his face. Edward turned slightly to look behind him before facing her again.

"Bella, this is my father, Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Dad, this is Bella Swan."

"Hello Bella," Carlisle stepped forward and she reluctantly pulled her hand out of Edwards grasp to shake the good doctor's hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Cullen."

He smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. "Just Carlisle is fine, dear. We're relieved to see you awake."

Bella brought her hand down to her lap to join her other one, nervously picking at the bandages. "How long was I asleep?"

"Almost fourteen hours," Carlisle said, gently picking up her wrist to check her pulse. "You'd had a pretty traumatic experience and needed the rest."

"So I'm gonna be okay?" She knew that he'd told Edward that she would be, but she wanted to make sure for herself.

"You should be just fine," he assured her, laying her hand back down gently. "A few bumps and bruises and cuts that I've cleaned and bandaged. Your lungs are clear, but you may be achy for a little while. Your hands were pretty cut up from the branches, but they'll heal with minimal scarring."

Bella nodded, relieved that despite the danger she had been in, she had gotten out of it fairly unscathed. Things could have gone so much worse.

"Is there anybody you need to call?" Edward asked suddenly. "Your parents, brothers or sisters? A boyfriend or husband?"

Bella nodded, remembering that she was supposed to call Jacob when she reached her cabin in Gatlinburg. "I need to call my best friend. I was supposed to call him last night when I got in and my phone was damaged in the flood. He's bound to be freaking out by now."

Edward nodded, reaching into his pocket and removing his own cell phone. "You had your purse strapped on when we got you out of the river. Mom put your cell phone in a bowl of rice hoping to save it, but it hasn't worked so far. We may need to take you into Sevierville to get you a new one."

Bella took the phone gratefully, thinking about her belongings. She was sad to lose her laptop and car, but everything could be replaced. Her heart seized, though, when she thought of the contents of her purse. "Was everything destroyed in my purse?"

Edward stood up and walked over to the desk, lifting said purse off of the chair and bringing it back to the bed. "I'm not sure. We didn't go through it, only to get your phone to see if we could find anybody to contact in case of an emergency."

Bella unzipped the bag, fearfully going through the drenched contents and pulling out the familiar envelope from her father. It was wet, the handwriting on the front darker and the ink bleeding slightly. She carefully removed the letter and spread it out on her lap, lovingly smoothing it out. It was damaged some, but still readable and she was grateful that the one thing that meant the most had somewhat survived the ordeal. She met Edward's worried eyes and offered him a smile.

"It's okay. This is all I cared about and it's fine. I just have to get it laminated sometime to protect it."

He nodded, glancing down at the papers on her lap. "Do you want me to lay them out on the desk? Let it dry out?" He met her eyes. "I'll be very careful with it, Bella. I promise."

She nodded, somehow trusting him with the most important thing to her. He gently picked up the papers and carried them back over to the desk, laying them out flat on the surface.

"I'm going to head downstairs and let Esme know you're awake," Carlisle said, making his presence known once again. "She's been cooking for you ever since Edward and Emmett brought you here. Are you up for some soup and hot tea?"

Bella nodded, wondering who Esme was but figuring she would learn more soon enough. "It sounds heavenly Carlisle. I can't thank you enough for your kindness."

He smiled down at her, patting her knee gently. "No thanks necessary, Bella. Just get better, that's all the thanks I require."

She watched as he left the room, quietly closing the door behind him. Edward returned to her side, sitting down on the edge of the bed and nodding at the phone in her hands. "Would you prefer if I left you alone while you made your calls?"

She shook her head. "Not necessary. It's likely that Jacob will want to talk to you anyway. Make sure I'm okay and all."

At Edward's nod, she turned on the phone and dialed out, bringing it to her ear. It only rang once before her friend's panicked voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey Jake," she said softly, clearing her throat to dislodge the lump of emotion growing there.

"Jesus Christ, Bells! I've been in a panic since last night! Why didn't you call me? Why aren't you calling from your phone? Are you okay? Where are you? Why weren't you answering your phone?"

She sniffled, feeling like shit for causing Jacob so much distress. "I'm sorry I didn't call last night. I was kind of in an accident and just recently woke up."

"What?" Jacob's voice rose to dog whistle pitch, his fear and anxiety palpable over the airwaves. "Are you okay? Are you in the hospital? Which hospital? Sam and I will catch the first flight out!"

"I'm fine," she swore, struggling to sit up. Edward reached out silently, assisting her with moving up and moved the pillows behind her back so she could lean against the headboard. "And I'm not in the hospital. The roads to the nearest hospital are kind of flooded out and I'm staying in the local doctor's house with his family."

"The doctor's house? Bella, explain." The voice on the other end was harsh, and she knew he wasn't angry with her, only terrified for her. She couldn't get mad at his sharp tone.

"Ikindofgotcaughtupinaflashflood," she said quickly. Beside her, Edward chuckled quietly at her fast speak and she rolled her eyes at him. He only smiled back innocently.

Jacob huffed on the other end. "Slower, Bells."

"I pulled off the interstate during a storm to find shelter and got caught up in a flash flood," she said slower, feeling her eyes fill up with tears at the sob that escaped her friend's lips. "I'm okay, but my car is totaled and my phone was destroyed. And I just woke up a little bit ago, so this is really the first chance I've been able to call you."

"A flash flood? Are you still in Nashville?"

"No, I left Nashville yesterday morning. I'm somewhere between Knoxville and Gatlinburg," she said, narrowing her eyes. She honestly had no idea where the hell she was. Looking up at Edward, she gave him a wide eyed stare. "Where am I, exactly?"

His eyes were tender as he leaned forward slightly. "You're in Chapel Crossing. About fifteen miles northeast of Gatlinburg."

"Who was that?" Jacob demanded. "Is that the doctor?"

"The doctor's son, actually," Bella said, her eyes still caught up in Edward's stare. "He saw the accident and pulled me out of the river."

"Pulled you out of the _river_?" Jacob's voice had hit teenage girl shriek status and Bella had to pull the phone away from her ear. "How the hell did you end up in the river, Bella? Put him on! I need to talk to him!"

Bella bit her lip, holding the phone out to Edward. "He wants to talk to you."

Edward grinned reassuringly, taking the phone from her. "Hello, this is Edward Cullen." Pause. "I swear to you, Jacob, Bella is just fine. A little scraped up and bruised, but she's safe and sound." Pause. "Dr. Carlisle Cullen, he has a family practice in Chapel Crossing… he graduated from John's Hopkins School of Medicine with honors about eighteen years ago."

Bella groaned, shaking her head at Jacob's obvious game of twenty questions but Edward only shot her a look of understanding. She listened as Edward patiently explained her accident to Jacob, following with her rescue and bringing her to his parent's home because the road to the hospital was impassible. He listed off the phone numbers of his father's office, his father's cell phone and the home phone number before assuring him that the number Bella had called from was indeed his own cell phone number and that he could call at any time. He also assured Jacob that he would keep Bella safe and get her to the closest large town to buy a new cell phone and find a new safe car for her. By the time he handed the phone back to her, Bella was blushing bright red.

"I'm so sorry," she mouthed, taking the phone back. Edward only chuckled and shook his head.

"He's worried for you, Bella. It's understandable."

She sighed and put the phone back to her ear. "Do you believe me now that I'm okay, Jacob Black?"

"Don't get short with me, young lady!" Jacob teased, finally sounding a little bit more like himself. "You can't expect me to hear how close I came to losing you forever and be calm about it."

"I know. And I'm sorry. I'm still a bit in shock over everything. It's a bit surreal at this point."

Jacob sniffled on the other end. "For me too. I knew the weather was bad down there, and when I didn't hear from you, I thought the worst."

"I'm okay, Jake. No more floating down the river in the Volvo for me, I promise."

"Smartass," he muttered. "I'm proud of you for thinking so quickly and getting out of the car when you did. Edward said he was impressed with how quickly you were able to get out."

"Daddy taught me well," Bella whispered and Jacob grunted in agreement. "I'm going to let you go for now, I'm ready for a nap already."

"Call me tonight? You know, for peace of mind."

"I will. I promise. Let everybody know I'm okay, will ya? Post on there that I'm currently without a laptop, so I can't log back on right now."

"I will. I love you , Bells."

Bella sniffled. "I love you too, Jake. Tell Sam I said 'hi' and I love him as well."

"Will do."

Bella cleared her throat, ending the call and handing the phone back to Edward. "Thank you for being patient with him. He's got that 'big brother/overprotective father' bit going on when it comes to me."

"Not a problem," Edward said, taking the phone back. "Is there anybody else you need to call?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Just Jacob. He'll let my other friends know that I'm okay."

Edward looked like he wanted to ask a question, but shook his head instead and pocketed the phone. He was about to say something but a knock on the door interrupted him.

The door opened and a lovely woman walked in, carrying a tray in her hands. Bella stared at the woman, amazed at the fantastic genes running through the people in the house. The woman looked like a movie star from the 1950's, with her soft caramel colored hair and sparkling green eyes. There was a strong resemblance to Edward, but she didn't look old enough to be his mother, so Bella was going for sister.

"Hello, Bella dear," the woman said in a soft southern accent, coming closer. "I brought you some chicken soup and herbal tea. It should help with the rawness of your throat."

"Thank you," Bella murmured, watching as Edward moved further back on the bed while the woman set the tray over Bella's lap. Besides the bowl of soup and mug of tea, there was a sectioned orange on a small plate and a little vase with a beautiful rose on the tray. "This is wonderful!"

The woman smiled, clasping her hands in front of her. "You're very welcome, dear. My name is Esme. I'm Carlisle's wife and this one's mother," she teased, nodding her head towards Edward. Bella couldn't hide the surprise on her face.

"I thought you were his sister or something!" The moment the words were out of her mouth, she groaned and blushed. Esme laughed, clapping her hands in glee.

"You just made my entire week, no need to be embarrassed. You gave us quite the scare when Edward and Emmett showed up with you in the ambulance. Sounds like you had quite a frightening evening."

"It was, but your son saved my life. And Emmett," she looked between the mother and son. "I don't really remember him, just that he was there in front of the ambulance."

"Emmett's my nephew," Esme said, pulling up a chair and making herself comfortable. "He's a volunteer EMT with Edward a few days a week. He called a bit ago to check up on you. You might have a couple visitors when you feel up to it."

Bella nodded, not quite sure why a stranger would want to visit her. Instead of thinking on it, she reached out and carefully picked up the mug of tea, bringing it to her lips and sipping slowly.

"Are the storms over?" She asked, setting the mug down and starting in on the most amazing bowl of soup she'd ever consumed. She would have to get the recipe from Esme before she left.

"For a few days, Edward answered. "At least enough time to let the flooding recede a bit."

"I'm not used to storms like this. Rain, yes. Where I'm from it rained all the time, but the severity of it…" Bella broke off with a shiver. "I was on the way to Gatlinburg from St Louis and had to stop for a couple days in Nashville because of them. I had thought they were over with."

"Where are you from, dear?" Esme asked, folding her hands on her lap.

"Washington State. A few hours outside of Seattle."

"Well aren't you a long way from home. Your parents must be beside themselves with worry!"

Bella looked down, finding the orange slices interesting. "My parents died when I was sixteen. It was just my best friend Jacob and I until I graduated high school this year. I've been on a road trip for the past month and a half." She didn't want to get into the Billy situation, choosing instead to leave that part of her life to herself. "I was on my way to Gatlinburg to spend a week when this happened."

"Oh my," Esme's eyes filled with sadness. "I'm so sorry to hear about your parents."

"Thank you."

"Where were you heading after Gatlinburg?" Edward asked, an unreadable look in his eyes.

"Florida." Bella returned to her food, sipping the broth from her spoon. "I thought maybe I'd find somewhere I'd want to stay for awhile. Maybe rent an apartment. Driving was starting to get tiresome. Of course now, I'll have to find another car."

Esme sat forward in the chair, reaching out to pat Bella's leg. "Well you're more than welcome to stay here for as long as you'd like. And we'd be happy to take you to Sevierville to find a new car. And a phone. I tried to save yours with rice and paper towels, but it wouldn't work."

"I appreciate you trying. I'm just grateful I'm okay. Just about everything else can be replaced."

The three of them chatted comfortably as Bella finished her meal, which Carlisle followed up with some Tylenol once he came back into the room.

"I'll leave you alone to get some rest," Esme said, standing up to take Bella's tray. "Just let us know if you need anything, sweetheart."

"Thank you so much," Bella smiled softly at the kind woman and Esme smiled back before quietly leaving the room. Carlisle watched his wife go before turning back to Bella.

"I'd prefer if you stayed in bed at least a couple more days," he said. "Give the antibiotics some time to work," he nodded towards the IV. "There are also some fluids to prevent dehydration. Are you allergic to any medications?"

Bella shook her head. "Not that I know of. My dad was allergic to penicillin, but I'm not."

"Good, good," Carlisle murmured. "Well I'll leave you to rest. That is the best medicine."

"Thank you, Carlisle."

He left the room and Bella faced Edward, noticing that he seemed to be staring at her intently. When their eyes met, he looked down and she was intrigued to see his ears turning pink.

"I'd better follow their lead," he said quietly, looking back up at her. He reached back into his pocket, pulling out his phone. "I'm going to leave my cell phone on the nightstand if you need it. I'll be here, so just dial 'Mom and Dad' if you need one of us."

Bella bit her lip, watching as he leaned forward to set the phone on the nightstand. "That's not necessary, Edward. What if you miss an important call? I can get out of bed and find someone if I need something."

He shook his head. "You need to stay in bed and rest, no exploring just yet." His grin lit up his face and Bella was enamored. "The en suite is through that door," he pointed towards a partially opened door against the far wall. "As for missing an important call, all the important people know they can reach me on my parent's house phone. It's not a problem, Bella, I promise."

She nodded, unable to look away from his face. Seriously, he was too damn beautiful. Clearing her throat, she looked down to her hands.

"I can't thank you enough, Edward. For everything."

Bella almost groaned aloud when his hand gently covered her own. "No thanks necessary, honey. Believe me, it was my pleasure."

He stood up and Bella had to fight the urge to beg him to stay. The man had jumped into a raging river to save her life and then stayed by her side for God knows how long. He had to be out of his mind exhausted. She watched as he walked to the door, stopping with his hand on the frame.

"I'll be back to check on you in a bit," he promised, giving her a reassuring smile. She nodded, smiling and leaning back into the sinfully soft pillows behind her head.

"Thank you, Edward."

"You're entirely welcome, Bella."

*.*.*

 **Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the awesome reviews. Seriously, I'm so happy that you seem to like my little story. And Yay, we've made it to Edward! Finally!**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.**_

 _ **This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.**_

CHAPTER SEVEN

"How did you know how much I love peanut butter pecan waffles?"

Bella stared in amazement at the tray in Esme's hands, covered with a huge plate of the most mouthwateringly delicious smelling waffles she'd ever encountered. Esme chuckled and behind her, Edward wore a shit eating grin on his face.

"A certain person in California told me when I spoke to him this morning," Edward admitted, sitting down in the chair beside the bed. Esme set the tray over Bella's lap and stood back, her hands clasped in anticipation, waiting for Bella's reaction.

Bella giggled, grabbing her fork and knife and spearing a piece, moaning in delight when she tasted it. "Oh my God, this is the greatest thing I've ever had in my life! Even better than Ted Drewes frozen custard!" She swallowed and looked up at Edward in surprise when his words registered. "Wait, you talked to Jake today? Did he call?"

Edward's ears turned pink and her heart fluttered at the adorable response. "Uh, I called him. We just wanted to find out what your favorite foods were. Mom wanted to surprise you with breakfast."

Bella was touched. "You didn't have to go to all the trouble, but thank you. Seriously. You all have been so wonderful to me and I can't thank you enough."

"Oh sweetheart, it was no trouble at all," Esme insisted, sitting at the foot of the bed. "After everything you've been through, you deserve a little pampering. Plus, you'll need your strength up. You have some visitors coming later."

"Visitors?" Bella took another bite of the sinful waffles, her eyes rolling back at the peanut buttery crunch of the whole toasted pecans sprinkled liberally over the top. "Who would be visiting me?"

"Well Emmett wanted to see with his own eyes that you were okay," Edward said, the grin on his face growing even wider at the blissful expression on hers. "And Emmett's wife Rosalie will be coming with him. Not to mention my sister Alice, who should be getting into town today from college for summer vacation. And possibly her fiancé, Jasper."

"Huh," she mumbled, confused as to why they would all want to visit with her. "I can't imagine why they all want to meet me. I'm not a celebrity or anything."

"We're a social bunch," Esme teased, patting Bella's blanket covered foot. "We don't get many newcomers in a town this size. I guess they're all curious."

Esme stood up then, smoothing out her pants. "Well I'll leave you two alone for a bit. Just let me know if you need anything."

Bella chuckled as she swept out of the room and looked over at Edward. "She's like a graceful Energizer Bunny, isn't she?"

He laughed. "That description fits her to the letter. She can never stand still for long. If she's not working, she's cooking or cleaning or looking for someone to spoil."

"What work does she do?"

Edward leaned back in his chair, getting comfortable. "She's an interior designer. Had her own company ever since I was in junior high. In fact, Alice is studying for her Bachelor's degree in Interior Design over at ETSU so she can start working for Mom when she graduates."

Bella whistled. "I'm impressed. I can totally see her with her own HGTV show."

"That's Alice's dream," Edward grinned. "The HGTV studios are in Knoxville and she's been working on her portfolio since she was a little kid. She's been on Mom's case to send hers ever since those twin brothers started their own show."

"When I was a kid, I wanted to be a ballerina," Bella laughed, sipping her orange juice. "Of course, I can barely walk without tripping over my own feet, so that career path was out before it even started. I have no idea what I want to be now."

"Are you in college?"

She shook her head. "I just graduated from high school in June. I didn't think I would have the chance to go to college, but when I get settled wherever I go, I might look into it. Not really sure what I would major in, though."

Edward stretched his long legs out, crossing his ankles. "So you're eighteen? That's pretty young to be driving cross country by yourself."

"Hey, I'll be nineteen in September," she said in defense.

"I'm not knocking your age, honey," Edward teased and Bella wanted to swoon at the endearment. Seriously, he made that word sound smooth and sweet in that sexy subtle Southern accent. "You just seem older by the way you act. It's not a bad thing at all."

Bella focused on her food as she continued to talk. "Ever since my parents died, things have been pretty difficult. I wasn't living in the best situation and I honestly didn't think college would even be an option. Some stuff happened and I had the opportunity to travel and find a place that made me happy. I really would like to go back to school. I like writing and I like to cook, so maybe I could study something in those areas."

"UT has a 12 week Culinary Program. They also have a great English program," Edward blurted out, immediately slapping his hand over his face. Bella laughed at his actions.

"I guess you went to UT yourself," she joked. "Are you trying to recruit me, Edward Cullen?"

Edward shook his head ruefully. "I apologize for my outburst, Bella. You just kind of floated into town and already I'm trying to get you to set up roots here." He met her eyes. "But yes, I did attend there. I got my Bachelors in Architecture two years ago. It's a great school."

 _He wants me to set up roots here! He wants me to stay!_ Bella couldn't stop the jubilant thoughts from flitting through her head.

"Wow, an architect? That's impressive." She said instead. "Houses or buildings?"

"A little of both. I've been working on the blueprints for my own home. I'd like to build it here in a couple years," he relaxed back in his chair. "Right now I'm designing a new library here in town. Alice's fiancé Jasper is a buddy of mine and got his degree in Business. We're hoping to start up our own Architecture Company soon."

"Damn. You Cullen's are a driven bunch, aren't you?" Bella really was impressed. "A doctor, two interior designers and an architect. You got any lawyers or politicians in the mix?"

Edward laughed. "No, no lawyers or politicians. What did your parents do, if you don't mind my asking?"

"My dad was the police chief in the town we lived in. Mom was kind of flighty and didn't stick to one thing for too long. She tried her hand at jewelry making, photography, painting; just about anything creative you could think of." Bella chuckled at a memory. "One time she bought a cookbook on pastry making and decided she was going to open up her own pastry shop. Then she tried to actually follow the recipes and ended up starting a kitchen fire. Dad threw the cookbook out and I took over the cooking duties after that."

Edward laughed along with her. When they settled down, he cleared his throat. "How did they pass away?"

Bella's smile turned sad and her eyes watered slightly. "Car accident. I was at school and they were driving home from shopping in Port Angeles and a drunk driver hit them head on."

"Oh Bella," Edward murmured, scooting his chair closer to the bed. He reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing gently. "I'm so sorry."

She stared at his hand on hers and blinked rapidly, keeping the tears at bay. "Thank you." She cleared her throat. "That letter from my purse that's drying out on the desk was actually from my father. His lawyer gave it to me recently and it was kind of my reason for taking this road trip. Dad wanted me to see the country and meet new people before settling down. I figured now was the best time to do it."

Understanding filled Edward's eyes. "No wonder you wanted to have it laminated. I can take you to do that in a couple days if you'd like."

"That would be great. Thank you."

Edward released her hand so she could continue eating, and sat back in his chair. "Emmett was able to get everything out of your car. I hope you don't mind, we opened the bags and have everything drying out downstairs. Mom washed all the clothes and they're probably finished drying now. I'm sorry, but your laptop and camera were ruined."

Bella figured they would be. But like her phone, they could be replaced easily enough. "That's fine, I'll just get new ones. What about the stuff in the other bag? The jewelry box and police uniform? Were the pictures ruined?"

Edward shook his head, his face taking on a look of wonder. "I can't explain it, but that bag wasn't damaged at all. There must have been an air pocket in the trunk where it was, because it didn't even get wet."

Bella sighed in relief and grinned, meeting his gaze. "You probably think it sounds insane, but I'm sure it was my parents who protected it. They would know just how important those things were to me."

He grinned back at her. "Doesn't sound insane in the least. You seem to have a few guardian angels looking over you. Wouldn't surprise me that they would save something that has so much meaning to you."

Bella finished up her last bite of breakfast just as Esme walked into the room, carrying a laundry basket full of folded clothes. "Sorry to interrupt, sweetheart. I just wanted to bring you some clean clothes. Thankfully, they weren't ruined in the water."

"Thank you so much, Esme," Bella was relieved to have clean clothes again. She desperately wanted a shower and her favorite sweatpants. The ensuite had a massive shower with multiple heads that she was itching to try out before her visitors arrived.

Esme set the basket down on top of the dresser and walked towards the bed. "Can I take your tray for you?"

"Yes, please." Bella returned Esme's smile. "And thank you again for the fabulous breakfast. I've never had waffles that good before. They were perfect."

"Well thank you, Bella. I'm so glad you enjoyed them."

Bella looked towards her clothes basket. "I know Carlisle said I needed to stay in bed, but do you think it would be okay if I took a shower?"

"I don't think that would be a problem," Esme assured her. "Do you need some help?"

"No, I think I'll be okay. I saw a bench in there earlier and if I get tired, I can sit down."

Esme stood up straight, the tray in her hands. "We'll leave you to it, then. Give us a yell if you need anything."

Edward reluctantly stood up, glancing between Bella and the bathroom door. "My room is next door. Just knock on the bathroom wall if you don't feel like yellin'."

Bella laughed. "Will do."

She watched as they left the room, closing the door behind them. And if she was being honest, her eyes never left Edward Cullen's ass until he was out of sight. That man could fill out a pair of Levi's like nobody's business.

*.*.*

The shower was just as orgasmic as Bella expected. She was a bit surprised to find her shampoo and body wash already in the shower and she was grateful for the little bit of normalcy that it represented.

She took her time in the shower, washing her hair twice and shaving her legs. While she was feeling a lot better than the day before, she did have to sit on the bench halfway through shaving. At least she wouldn't embarrass herself with stubble if Edward happened to see her bare legs.

Bella dried off and brushed her teeth before pulling on her warm, soft sweatpants and a comfortable tank top. She was too tired to blow dry her hair, so she braided it instead and called it done. By the time she was finished, she was exhausted and crawled back in her freshly made bed, reminding herself to thank Esme later for changing the sheets while she was bathing.

A soft knock on the door pulled her from her dreams. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up slightly and called out a quiet "Come in."

Edward's head poked in through the opening, his usual easy smile on his face. "Hey there, Sleeping Beauty. You up for visitors?"

Bella blushed, sitting up against the pillows and pulling the comforter up to her waist. "Sure." Her hand automatically went up to her hair, checking to make sure falling asleep with it wet didn't leave it a rats nest.

Edward opened the door fully and stepped in, closely followed by a bear of a man that she vaguely recognized from the night of the flood.

Emmett McCarty would be considered intimidating with his size if it wasn't for the playful smile on his face and the huge, adorable dimples in his cheeks. His blue eyes sparkled with mirth as he bounded into the room, making a beeline for Bella. She grunted in surprise when he wrapped her up in a bear hug.

"I'm so glad to see you awake, Bella!" He exclaimed, placing a loud smacking kiss on the top of her head. "You scared the hell out of me the other night! But damn girl, you are one badass chick! I've never seen anybody get out of a car that fast in my life."

Bella giggled, not feeling a bit of discomfort at this virtual stranger hugging her like a long lost friend. She just hugged him back, patting him on the back a few times. "I don't think badass is the right word, Emmett, but thank you. And for your help with saving me. I can't thank you enough."

"Oh pshaw!" he stood up, his dimpled grin in place. "I didn't do anything but hold onto the rope. Eddie is the one who jumped in after you."

"But you were driving the ambulance and you saw me," Bella argued, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "Just take the gratitude like a gentleman and say 'you're welcome, Bella'."

His boisterous laugh filled the room. "Well then, you're very welcome, Bella."

Edward stepped up, playfully shoving Emmett aside. "Quit hogging her Em. You're not her only visitor."

Bella giggled as Emmett rolled his eyes before turning around and holding his hand out to a beautiful blonde standing behind him. "This beautiful lady is my wife, Rosalie. Rosie, baby, this is Bella."

Emmett wasn't lying. Rosalie was a beauty, as much as the Denali sisters were. She was tall, almost six feet, with straight silky blonde hair and cornflower blue eyes. And the smile on her face was just as welcoming as the Denali's had been.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella," she said in a glorious southern accent. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Thank you, Rosalie. It's great to finally meet you as well."

"My turn, my turn!" A giddy high pitched voice giggled and Bella peeked around Rosalie to see a tiny woman who looked a bit like Tinkerbelle. She was wearing a lovely lavender babydoll dress and bouncing up and down in strappy heels that Bella knew she would never be able to even stand up in. The little fairy woman had close cropped black hair and huge blue eyes framed with long black lashes that Bella envied. And the smile on her face! A crazy mix of sweet and mischievous that had Bella laughing in anticipation.

 _Oh the trouble I could get into with that one!_

Fairy-Woman bounded to the bed, wrapping her arms around Bella in a surprisingly strong hug. "It's so awesome to finally meet you, Bella! I'm Alice, and we're going to be such great friends!"

Bella hugged her back, giggling at her exuberance. "I think you may be right, Alice. It's great to meet you, too."

Alice plopped down on the bed at her side, grabbing her hand gently. "I can't wait until you're well enough to get out of the house! I have so much to show you! Do you like shopping? There's a _fantastic_ outlet mall in Sevierville we have to go to!"

Edward shook his head in exasperation, sitting down at the foot of the bed on the opposite side. "Give her a break, Alice! She just met you! Let her take a breath!"

Alice rolled her eyes playfully. "Not everybody is as serious as you, brother dear. I can tell just by looking in Bella's eyes that she is a hell raiser! We're going to have so much fun!"

"She's right, Eddie," Emmett spoke up, sitting down in the chair beside the bed and pulling Rosalie down in his lap. "Jacob did say she's become quite the little adventurer lately. The girl jumped off a freaking skyscraper for God's sake!"

Bella blushed, looking at the faces surrounding her. "You talked to Jacob too?"

Alice grinned. "We all did! He told us all about the places you've been and that you've been keeping a Facebook page on it. Seriously, I would love to go on a road trip like that! We'll have to do that sometime. Maybe we can go to New Orleans!"

Bella shook her head in confusion, feeling a bit overwhelmed now. "Did he call again?"

Edward gave her a sheepish grin, looking down at his hands. "We've talked to him a few times since yesterday. I told you we called him to ask him about your favorite foods, but then he called while you were taking a nap to check up on you. Alice and Emmett happened to be here and they wanted to talk to him, too. The Adventures of Bella Swan seemed to be the hot topic."

"Huh." Bella felt a bit strange being the center of the group's attention like that. She didn't know what to think, realizing that this family knew more about her than she thought.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Alice jumped up suddenly, rushing out of the room. Bella stared after her wide eyed before looking at the others. "She's a hyper one, isn't she?"

Rosalie laughed. "Whatever you do, do not let her consume caffeine. Get some Starbucks in her and it's all over."

Before she could respond, Alice shot back in the room carrying a few bags. "I stopped in Sevierville on the way home from school and picked you up a new laptop, iPhone and camera. Mom called and told me the ones you had that were ruined and I hope its okay, but I got you the same ones."

Bella was stunned as Alice unloaded the bags on the bed, showing off the brand new still in the boxes digital camera, iPhone and laptop. "Alice, honestly, you didn't have to go to all that trouble! I could have picked it up myself when I go into town!"

Alice giggled. "Bella, shopping is my life. Swear to God, it was no trouble."

"Plus, from what Jacob said, you have a lot of new friends who are very worried about you," Edward said softly, meeting her gaze. "He's reassured them that you're okay, but I'm sure they won't be satisfied until they hear from you themselves."

Bella swallowed the lump that made an appearance in her throat. If someone had said that just a few months ago, she would have thought them insane. Going from not having many friends at all, to having a big group of them from all over the world was a bit unbelievable. She cleared her throat, managing a small smile. "Thank you. It will be nice to get back online and update them on my trip."

"Also, we were kind of hoping you'd let us see the pictures and video from the places you've been." Emmett admitted, his face filled with excitement. "Jacob said you might have a career as a bowling alley singer in the future."

Bella laughed. "Oh God, he would bring that up." She reached out and ran her hands over the new boxes. "You'll have to let me pay you back. This cost a lot of money and I won't have you footing the bill."

Alice looked like she wanted to argue, but one look from Bella and she sighed heavily. "Fine."

Relief filled Bella at that. She refused to be indebted to anybody and she already owed the Cullen family her life.

They chatted about their lives while Edward set up the laptop. Besides being a part time EMT, Emmett was the football coach and PE teacher at the local high school. Watching him while he talked about his students and team with such pride made him even more adorable than before to Bella. Rosalie was really a very lucky woman.

Rosalie was a nurse and worked at Carlisle's office. When Alice was home from school, she alternated between scheduling appointments at the doctor's office and helping her mother with her design projects.

Bella felt a little inadequate beside these hard working Cullen's. The only job she ever had was a part time at Newton's Outfitter's, a family run sporting goods shop in Forks. Granted, she had just graduated from high school and in Forks, the only places she would have been able to get a job was either Newton's or waiting tables at the diner. And with Bella's lack of coordination at times, carrying a full tray of food and glasses would not have been the best idea.

When Edward had finished setting up the laptop, he plugged it in and placed it in Bella's lap. She couldn't help but laugh at the looks of excitement on the Cullen and McCarty faces and she decided to put them out of her misery by immediately logging into her Facebook account. After quickly updating her status, letting her friends know that she was okay and safe in Tennessee, she let her new friends go wild at her videos and photos.

Emmett whooped and high fived her at the wrist cam video of her Stratosphere jump, while Edward paled slightly. Alice absolutely fell in love with the henna tattoos that she and Tia had gotten and they all sang along to her karaoke performance. When they came to the pictures from Yosemite, Rosalie suggested that they all take a weekend hike in the Smoky Mountains soon.

"It might be more relaxing than Yosemite," she said, looking through all the pictures. "That had to be a pain to hike with all those people there."

Alice was giggling over the Prada Marfa pictures when the message alerts started coming in.

 **It'sTanya,Bitches** _ **: Holy shit, Bella Girl! We've been scared shitless since Jacob let us know what happened! So glad you're okay!**_

 **TiaMargarita** _ **: Goddamn, Swan Dive! Give a girl a heart attack why dontcha! Give me a call when you get your phone replaced. Don't make me and Benjamin fly out there!**_

 **TourGuideGod** _ **: Damn, girl. You're not supposed to go white water rafting in the Volvo! Glad you're safe.**_

Rosalie raised her eyebrow at that. "Tour Guide God?"

Bella rolled her eyes and clicked on a picture of her white water rafting trip. "Alistair. I think Irina suggested the name to him when she saw his pictures."

They all crowded around the laptop to see said pictures and Edward scowled while Alice and Rosalie whistled. "He doesn't look like all that."

All eyes in the room turned to Edward and his ears turned pink. Emmett laughed at his cousin's discomfort.

"You jealous, bro?"

Edward rolled his eyes and Bella felt her cheeks turn warm. Was he jealous? The thought was intriguing.

"That trailer is too cute!" Alice squealed, clicking through the Marfa pictures, Edward's outburst forgotten.

"This is awesome, Bella," Emmett said, dropping down beside her and throwing his arm around her shoulder. "Little Miss Adventurer in da house!"

"You could write a book about your travels," Rosalie suggested. "You've been to some pretty cool places here."

"We need to get you out of the house so you can take pictures here," Emmett decided, pulling her into a little half hug.

"If you hand me that new phone, I'll plug it in and we can take a group picture right now," Bella said. "I definitely need to add you guys to the group."

Alice scrambled for the iPhone box and had it charging and in Bella's hands before she could blink. Bella chuckled at Alice's enthusiasm and everybody crowded around Bella. Her arms weren't long enough to get everybody in the shot, so Edward held it out in his hand, framing them all before taking the picture.

Bella admired the photo for a second before signing into Facebook on her phone and loading the picture. She posted a new status of her Tennessee friends and went back to the laptop, quickly sending friend requests to them. She couldn't help but laugh when all four of them pulled out their own cell phones and logged into Facebook to accept her invitation.

"You guys are crazy," she said, her smile feeling huge on her face.

The laptop beeped and they all looked down to see the comments start.

 **JacobBlack18:** _ **Wow, Bells, you got a laptop already? I thought Doc Cullen told you to stay in bed? Glad to put faces to the voices, though.**_

 **It'sGreat2bKate:** _ **Damn, now that's a good looking bunch! Glad to see that beautiful face Bella. Give us a call when you get a chance!**_

 **ChicagoCharlotte21:** _ **Welcome to the Bella Swan Fan Club Emmett, Rosalie, Alice and Edward! Many thanks for taking care of our girl!**_

Bella smiled at the comments, feeling blessed that she had such wonderful friends. Beside her, Alice started typing furiously on her phone and a minute later, the laptop beeped again.

 **Alice'sWonderland:** _ **Hi guys! Just wanted to let you know that we plan on keeping Bella and we refuse to give her back :P**_

Everybody laughed and Bella stared at the screen openmouthed.

"Damn straight we're keeping her, Twinkle Toes," Emmett hooted, giving Alice a high five.

The beeping that followed had them all rolling as everybody commented that they had met Bella first and they had dibs. Bella's sides ached from laughing at the virtual tug of war between her friends with her as the supposed prize.

"You've started a war now, Alice," Edward teased, his beautiful smile never leaving Bella's flushed face. "We may have to fight them all to keep her."

 _OhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGod!_

*.*.*

 **A/N: If you could take a road trip anywhere, where would you go?**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.**_

 _ **This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.**_

CHAPTER EIGHT

Despite the kindness the Cullens had shown her while she was bedridden, Bella was relieved to finally be outside, breathing in the fresh mountain air. It had been three days since her accident and she was finally given the okay by Carlisle to leave her room.

It was a humid 85 degrees, but it felt heavenly to her. She couldn't help but hold her arms out and raise her eyes skyward, spinning in circles and giggling at the freedom of it.

She heard Edward's chuckle and stopped spinning, facing him with a smile. He was leaning against his beautiful metallic gray Dodge Ram, looking absolutely sinful in his dark Levi's and a green button down shirt. The sun shone brightly, bringing out the stunning copper of his hair. God, he was fucking gorgeous!

"Happy to be sprung?" He teased, standing up straight.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, breathing in deeply. "I'm so grateful for everything, but I hate being cooped up so long."

"Understandable. I know I used go crazy when I was sick as a kid and Mom and Dad made me stay in bed. All I wanted to do was go outside and have fun."

Bella nodded in agreement, glad that he didn't find her ungrateful. He was being extremely kind, and had offered to drive her to Sevierville to look at cars. She had called her insurance company and Jenks to let them know of her accident. The police report of the accident and the invoice from the body shop totaling out her Volvo were faxed out and she was promised her check would be deposited into her bank account by the end of the week.

Bella was leaning towards another Volvo, but she hadn't decided yet. Edward offered to take her to Sevierville to see if she liked anything there. If not, there was a Volvo dealership in Knoxville he would take her to. She had argued that he didn't need to go to the trouble; that she could rent a car and drive herself around, but he wasn't having it. Bella didn't know if it was the Southern gentleman in him that wouldn't let her go alone, or if he just wanted to spend more time with her. She was seriously hoping for the second option.

During her time in bed, she was only alone when she was sleeping, as far as she knew. When she was awake, she was surrounded by people, sometimes all of them, sometimes just Rosalie and Alice, and sometimes just Edward. She loved spending time with all of them, but she was a little biased and mostly preferred to spend time with just Edward. Her green eyed angel.

He was unlike any other man she'd ever known. Besides the obvious perfection of the outer package, he was so ridiculously kind. When she was allowed out of bed and he gave her a tour of the house, he held open doors for her and kept his fingers lightly at the small of her back. He always asked her if she needed anything and he offered to carry her purse when they headed out to the truck. When she had told him that he didn't have to be so polite with her, his look of confusion was adorable. Apparently, Esme Cullen raised her son to be the ultimate gentleman. Not opening a door for a lady was unheard of.

That wasn't saying that he was a bore or a prude. Edward had a killer sense of humor, a bit sarcastic and more than a little naughty. When she had emerged from her room that morning, wearing a pair of jean shorts and a tank top, Edward had immediately held out his arm and said his usual "ladies first". They had walked down the stairs and Bella had turned to say something, catching him staring at her ass. When he looked up and realized he was caught, he just gave her that sexy crooked grin and complemented her shorts.

Bella's sides still hurt from laughing. And she couldn't resist telling him that he filled out a pair of Levi's pretty damn well himself.

Esme offered to make them breakfast, but Edward suggested that they stop at a diner on the way. Apparently there was a place that made the best biscuits and gravy this side of the Smoky Mountains that just happened to be right next to an Office Depot, where Bella could get her father's letter laminated. Her stomach growled at the thought and she wholeheartedly agreed.

Edward helped Bella into the truck, making sure she was buckled in before closing her door. They were on their way in minutes, driving through the small, charming little downtown on the way to the Interstate.

"If you're up for it tomorrow, I think Alice and Rose were hoping to show you around town," Edward said, slipping on a pair of Maui Jim's.

Bella looked away from the view outside her window, focusing on Edward. "That sounds like fun. I saw a few shops that looked kind of interesting."

"You'll definitely want to stop at Sweet Bites. Shelley Cope makes the best damn Moon Pie's I've ever had."

"Moon Pie? Really?"

Edward grinned. "Damn straight. You can't come to Tennessee and not have a Moon Pie. And not the prepackaged ones, either. Homemade, fluffy chocolaty marshmallow goodness. I promise you, they're orgasmic."

Bella blushed, shifting in her seat at hearing the word "orgasmic" in his smooth, sexy voice. What she would give to eat one of those "orgasmic" Moon Pies off of that sexy Levi wearing ass…

"So what kind of music do you like?" Edward asked, turning the country station on the radio down.

Bella shrugged. "All kinds. I haven't heard a lot of country, but I like Carrie Underwood. I like Garth because my Dad used to listen to him a lot when I was a kid." She bit her lip, thinking. "I love classic rock. BTO and The Doobie Brothers were my mother's favorites, and I don't know that any song can beat 'Long Train Running'."

Edward grinned, glancing over at her. "Beautiful, smart _and_ great taste in music. You're the full package, aren't you?"

Bella laughed and blushed at the same time. "I don't know about all that. I saw the Blue Man Group in Vegas with Tia and Benjamin and that was pretty cool, but I heard them before because of Jake."

"I saw them in Chicago years ago," Edward said, carefully merging onto the Interstate. "My buddy Alec was with me and he got to be the human paintbrush."

"Do you like blues and jazz?"

"I do, very much. I kind of envy you and your stop in Austin. I'd love to go there and listen to the music you heard."

"I liked Alice's idea of tripping it to New Orleans," Bella fiddled with the bottom of her shirt, shyly glancing over at Edward. "Maybe we could all take the trip there someday. Listen to some street jazz and pig out on crayfish?"

Edward grinned, meeting her eyes. "I would like that. A lot."

Bella returned his grin, relaxing in the seat for the rest of the drive. They chatted about movies and books and different places they would like to visit. It seemed like the trip to Sevierville passed in the blink of an eye.

They stopped for breakfast first at a cute little Mom and Pop diner that served breakfast skillets with biscuits and gravy. Bella went all out, ordering the country fried steak skillet with grits and could only manage to finish half of it. Edward finished all of his and the rest of hers, though, so she wouldn't feel bad about wasting food. Or so he said.

Their next stop was Office Depot, where her father's letter was finally laminated. She was a bit anxious when the employee had possession of her precious letter and even with Edward trying to take her mind off of it, she didn't fully breathe until it was safely back in her hands.

Edward took her to a couple car dealerships but Bella didn't find anything that really caught her eye. She didn't want a jeep and she didn't want another truck other than the Red Beast that Jacob was watching for her. He suggested they go to Knoxville and check out the Volvo dealership.

That is, after he took her to a muscle car museum. Bella laughed as they checked out all the cars, taking pictures to add to her Facebook page. He took a picture of her posing all "car model" sexy in front of a 1969 GTO and immediately posted it to her page with the caption "Bella chose her new car". They both cracked up at how quickly the comments came in over that one.

They stopped at Ben and Jerry's before heading towards Knoxville. The trip flew by as they chatted easily about their most embarrassing memories, and they made each other laugh singing along very loudly to Adele's "Hello" on the radio. This led to a lengthy discussion about the greatness of Adele and her fantastic potty mouth.

It was about three in the afternoon when they reached the Volvo dealership. They walked around slowly as Bella checked out each car. She was interested in a silver Volvo S80, which Edward and Jacob had both deemed as safe enough for her to drive.

And then she climbed behind the wheel. Her heart started pounding, her hands trembling, and all she could see when she looked out the windshield was a rushing river and dark, inky night.

Bella gasped loudly, choking back a sob as she pushed the door open and jumped out. Edward reached out for her and the next thing she knew, she was crying into his chest while he held her tightly against him, whispering assurances against her hair.

"It's okay honey, you're safe." He murmured, hugging her closer. "I promise you, Bella, you're okay. You don't have to get it today. There's no rush."

She couldn't stop crying enough to talk, so she just held onto him for dear life, soaking the front of his shirt with her tears. He just held her, calmly whispering in her ear and running his hand over her hair. It felt like a long time before she was able to take a deep breath and lift her head from his chest.

His eyes were filled with sadness and concern when she was able to look up at him. Bella felt a wave of embarrassment and tried to look down, but he immediately caught her chin with his fingertips, bringing her eyes back up to his.

"Don't ever feel embarrassed for being scared," he whispered, using his thumb to brush away her tears. "Nobody expects you to get behind the wheel right away. What happened was terrifying and it's okay to take some time."

Bella nodded, still embarrassed. She cleared her throat and looked towards his truck. "Can we leave please?"

"Whatever you need," he answered, wrapping her hand in his. He led her to the truck, opening the passenger side door and waiting for her to be safely inside before closing it.

They were silent as Edward pulled out of the parking lot and drove towards downtown. Bella stared out the window, seeing nothing. She was so confused. Yeah, the accident had been terrifying, but she had been looking forward to replacing her car. She didn't understand why she had such a reaction getting behind the wheel like that. She had no problem riding in Edward's truck, and the thought of driving before didn't upset her. She felt like a fool. Here, Edward had taken an entire day from his responsibilities to drive her around to look for a car. And when she was about to get one, she freaked out.

How was she supposed continue on her road trip when she couldn't get behind the damn wheel? As welcoming as they were, she couldn't live with the Cullen's for the rest of her life. Eventually, she would have to leave. Her plan was to go to Florida. Ride those damn teacups for her father. Swim in an ocean that she didn't need a wetsuit in to keep from freezing.

And she didn't even want to address the lump in her throat that formed at the thought of leaving Edward behind.

"Penny for your thoughts."

Bella blinked, looking towards Edward in surprise. They were no longer driving and when she looked around, she recognized the Sunsphere and the World's Fair Park that she stopped at when she first drove through Knoxville.

"I'm sorry," she shook her head. "I didn't even notice we had stopped."

Edward smiled sadly at her, reaching out to cover her hand with his. "No apologies, honey. You up for a little walk?"

Bella nodded. As she moved to unbuckle her seatbelt, Edward jumped out of the truck, running around to open her door for her. She couldn't hold back the little grin. "Such a gentleman you are, Edward Cullen."

"But of course, Bella Swan," he grinned, taking her hand to help her step down. When she was on solid ground, he reached behind her seat and pulled out a folded plaid blanket. Closing and locking the door, he took her hand again and led her towards the Sunsphere.

"I stopped here the day of the accident," Bella said quietly, looking around at the familiar surroundings. "You probably saw the pictures on my page."

"I did. This is one of my favorite places in Knoxville." Edward nodded towards the university. "That's where I went to school. I lived in the dorms for my first two years before Jasper and I got an apartment not far from here. We used to hang out here when we didn't feel like driving anywhere."

He led her to a large grassy area near a vacant stage and stopped, spreading out the blanket on the ground. They sat down, Bella lotus style while Edward spread his legs out in front of him, leaning back on his elbows.

"I think I first wanted to become an architect when I saw the Sunsphere," he said, looking up towards the massive gold structure. Bella shielded her eyes from the sun and followed his gaze. It really was magnificent. A giant ball of gold glass, a kind of sentry over the city.

"Mom and Dad used to bring us here for picnics and such," he started. "Ever since I was little, I was enamored with this structure. You can see it for miles from any direction. When you're in the mountains, you can see it if you're high enough. I thought it was so big and bright and beautiful that you could see it from space. I remember thinking how great it would be to build something like that, something that you could see for miles and miles." He glanced over at her. "Did you go up to the observation tower when you stopped before?"

Bella shook her head in the negative, letting the soothing tone of his voice relax her. He looked back up at the ball of gold. "The views are unbelievable. As a kid, I thought you could see the entire world from up there. I thought 'I want to build something where you can stand at the top and see all the way to the ocean'."

"It's a good dream," Bella said quietly, lost in the peaceful look on his face. Edward grinned, reaching over to squeeze her hand.

"It was. Of course, now I'm a little more realistic. I want to build houses that can be a source of warmth. Jasper and I are big on eco friendly architecture. Green roofs, solar paneling, sustainable materials. Buildings that blend with their surroundings without taking away from it. Tanks that recycle and filter rainwater, rooftop gardens on urban buildings." He looked at her with excitement in his eyes. "I've seen houses where you come up on them and can't even tell there's a house there until you come at it from a different direction! Like little hobbit holes, covered in grass and wildflowers from two sides and then it's all windows. Absolutely brilliant!"

Bella smiled widely at his enthusiasm, her panic attack and tears forgotten. "Is that what you're planning for your own home?"

Edward nodded. "I bought some land on a bluff just outside of Chapel Crossing. The views will be amazing and better yet, the views of the house itself shouldn't take away from the vegetation around it."

"That sounds incredible. I hope you invite me over to see it when you complete it?"

He glanced over at her, his eyes warm. "You'll be one of the first to see it."

*.*.*

They lounged in the park for another hour before their stomachs started growling. Edward took her to a fantastic little Middle Eastern café, where they split the Chicken Schwarma and Falafel and an order of cilantro hummus.

"I'm going to have fun recreating this recipe," Bella moaned, heaping a pita chip with the remaining hummus. Edward grinned, wiping his mouth on a napkin.

"I'm going to have fun eating it," he teased. "That must have been another fun part of your road trip; finding all the different types of cuisine you couldn't get back home."

Bella nodded in agreement. "Oh my God, it was. My Dad was a steak and potatoes kind of guy, and then fish because we were always catching them. Jacob was all about burgers and lasagna. No way could I experiment with different foods. I can't wait to have a kitchen again so I can start trying out different recipes."

"You know you're always welcome to experiment in my Mom's kitchen. She won't mind."

Bella thought about that, licking the tzatziki sauce off of her fingers. "I would love to make dinner for your family to thank them for their kindness. I'm itching to try my hand at toasted ravioli. I swear that's all I ate in St Louis."

"It sounds good. I can't say I've ever tried it," Edward admitted. "When I was in Chicago, I think I lived off of the pizza up there. I went overboard and it's kind of hard for me to eat it now."

Bella laughed. "I'm the same way with tacos. There was this phenomenal taco truck in Austin that I ate at four days in a row until I couldn't stomach it anymore. It will be a while before I eat another one."

They laughed together as they discussed their favorite foods and desserts. Bella was more than a little excited at the thought of getting her hands dirty in Esme Cullen's fantastic kitchen.

"You can experiment with the herbs and vegetables from Mom's garden in the backyard, too," Edward suggested as they were leaving the restaurant. "She got into gardening years ago and she only cooks with the fresh herbs that she grows. I never thought I'd be able to tell the difference, but it really brings out the flavors for the better."

"I'd love to grow my own food," Bella sighed dreamily as she climbed back into the truck. "I had a little herb pot in the windowsill in my kitchen, but nothing too big. I'd also like to buy some land with a few fruit trees. I'd love to go out to the yard to pick apples for a pie whenever I wanted to."

"We have a few apple trees at the back of the property. Mom's got a pear tree and a peach tree back there, too." Edward said, starting the engine and pulling out of the parking lot. "The peach tree doesn't always do too well, early spring frost tend to kill the blossoms. But when we have a mild winter, we get pretty spoiled throughout the year with all the cobbler Mom makes."

"I haven't had peach cobbler in ages," Bella said. "My parent's friend Sue made one once. I'd like to try making one myself sometime."

"Mom goes all out. She'll even make homemade ice cream to go with it. We used to have an old fashioned ice cream maker with a crank that would take _forever_ for the ice cream to freeze." Edward chuckled. "When we were teenagers, Alice and I finally got fed up with cranking the thing and pooled our allowances together to buy an electric one. Best investment ever."

"Ooh, you have an ice cream maker?" Bella clapped her hands in glee. "Awesome! I can try to recreate the frozen custard I had in St Louis!"

"You know we may never let you leave if you're going to be spoiling us like this," Edward teased, glancing over at her. "You've already seen Alice getting possessive with your friends and that was right after meeting you. You give that girl anything with sugar and she'll latch on to you like Velcro."

"I'm not that exciting," Bella joked. "I'm sure I'll lose that new car smell sooner or later."

"Don't count on it," Edward peeked over at her before focusing on the road again. "You don't see yourself clearly, do you?"

Bella shrugged. Honestly, she wasn't anything special. "I'm just me. Plain old Bella Swan."

Edward's laugh rang out loudly, startling her. "Plain old Bella Swan my ass! Honey, you have stopped in how many states, not knowing a soul, and immediately befriended how many people right off the bat?"

"They saw a young girl by herself! Maybe they felt sorry for me at first."

He rolled his eyes. "They didn't feel sorry for you. A group of strangers from around the world are part of the 'Bella Swan Fan Club', after spending a small amount of time in your presence. People can't help but be drawn to you. Do you think the Denali's pull a virtual stranger into their group every time they go on vacation? Or couples on break, like Tia and Benjamin, hang out with random girls for an overnight adventure?"

Bella never thought of that. When she started out on her road trip, she never thought she would make any friends, considering she was just stopping for a few days each time. But most of the destinations she had ended up, she had met some pretty fantastic people. "I was just happy to meet people and that they wanted to spend time with me while I was there. I just chocked it up to good luck."

"Oh, Bella," Edward grinned. "No luck about it, honey. You're like a beacon of light. Everybody you've met would be happy to take you back with them. My family is ready to adopt you. Get used to it."

Bella was quiet, thinking on it. She had spent the last couple years of her life in an almost isolation, with only Jacob and Sam and occasionally Angela to keep her from being truly alone. When she lost her parents, she had lost interest in the people she used to hang out with at school. The whole high school popularity game had become ridiculous overnight and she no longer cared about football games and pep rallies and extracurricular activities.

Until she left, Bella never realized just how much she had isolated herself, and how much she missed human contact. Meeting her new friends on the road, she realized that people weren't all the same. Not everybody was a selfish asshole like Billy Black, or a jealous, spoiled harpy like Leah Clearwater. There were people who were truly kind, people who would befriend a stranger and bring her into the family fold just because they enjoyed spending time with her. People who kept in touch with her and who cared about her even after they parted ways.

Maybe there was something special about her after all.

*.*.*

 **A/N: What is your favorite food?**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.**_

 _ **This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.**_

CHAPTER NINE

If ever there was a picture proving that opposites attract, Bella figured it would be of Alice and her fiancé, Jasper Whitlock.

While Alice was a pale, dark haired Tinkerbelle on a perpetual caffeine high, Jasper was a tall, lean surfer boy loaded with calm southern charm. He was tanned a golden brown, with shaggy dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes and when he kissed Bella's hand upon introduction and said "It's a right pleasure to meet you, Miss Bella" in a thick accent, she couldn't help but dissolve into flustered giggles.

Upon returning from their outing the evening before, Edward had brought up Bella's desire to cook to Esme, who was more than thrilled to invite her houseguest to make herself at home in the kitchen. To thank the Cullen's for their phenomenal hospitality, Bella treated them to a breakfast of apple cinnamon French toast and bacon. All of the Cullen's, plus Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper joined them at the table, and they all raved over Bella's cooking.

Edward and Jasper were going to spend the afternoon going over the final plans for the library project while Emmett was volunteering at the fire station. Carlisle would be opening his office around ten, and Esme offered to answer the phones for him to give Rosalie and Alice the day off to show Bella around Chapel Crossing.

Before leaving for the day, Edward had given Bella a kiss on the cheek and reminded her to try a Moon Pie at Sweet Bites when she went out. The feel of his soft lips on her cheek left her in a faint Edward scented fog, staring into space until Alice's giggle brought her back to reality. When she looked at her new little friend, the glee she saw on that pixie face had her laughing along with her.

"Edward and Bella, sitting in a tree," Alice sang softly as she walked by, earning a playful smack on the arm from Rosalie as Bella blushed hotly. "What?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Ignore her, Bella. She's been trying to play matchmaker to Edward since high school. Last time she tried, he threatened to tie her to the stop sign on the corner of Main and Chestnut dressed in a shirt that said 'I buy my clothes at Wal-Mart'."

Alice growled at the memory and Bella just chuckled. "Wal-Mart not up to your fashion standards, Alice? Some of their stuff isn't too bad."

Alice shuddered. "I just have issues with buying clothing where I buy groceries. Who goes out to buy panties and ground beef at the same store?"

Laughing at Alice's disgust, they followed her out of the house, where a bright yellow Porsche was parked in the circle drive. Bella's eyes bugged out at the color, which was almost as bright and blinding as the sun.

"Wow, Alice, a Porsche?"

The pixie smiled proudly, patting the car gently. "I like to make a statement. This says 'I'm loads of fun, now get the fuck out of my way'."

Bella was still chuckling a few minutes later, when Alice turned off of Chestnut St and onto Main. From what Bella had seen of the town so far, it was a mix of old grand Victorian style homes, smaller bungalows and a few cookie cutter ranch style homes. Quaint streets lined with ancient trees, an elementary school, a combination middle/high school and only a few businesses outside of the downtown area. It was a cute little place, quiet and family friendly. She liked it immediately.

The Cullen's large Colonial home was located on the outskirts of town, but it still only took about two minutes to get to the downtown center. 'Downtown' consisted of four blocks of Main St, with beautifully restored storefronts in red, gray and white brick. Even the sidewalks and the street were brick, and Bella immediately fell in love with the charm of the place. Ancient trees and planters of brightly colored flowers lined the curbs and she was itching to get out of the car and snap a few pictures on her phone. Across the street from Carlisle's doctor's office, at the corner of Main and Chestnut, was an adorable little white clapboard chapel. An image of Bella walking down the stairs of that chapel in a white wedding dress flashed through her mind and was gone in an instant, leaving her a bit surprised at the thought.

"Isn't it adorable?" Alice stood next to Bella, glancing over at the church. "I would have loved to get married there, but it's too small for all of my guests and Jasper's to fit into."

"It's beautiful," Bella murmured. She had never thought of getting married before, unless she counted the silly little girl dreams she used to have as a child.

"So where do we start?" Rosalie asked, spreading her arms wide. "I don't want to hit Sweet Bites until I've walked off breakfast."

Alice pointed west. "Let's start out by the post office and make our way this way. We can end at the library site."

They walked up the north side of the street, past the chapel, a hair and nail salon, a Law office and the post office before crossing the street. There, they headed back east. Alice and Rosalie pointed out the combination gas station/pizza parlor, Sheriff's office, and a mom and pop diner simply called 'The Lunch Counter'.

"When Edward came back from Chicago, he told Bertie about this sandwich he got up in Illinois that he loved," Alice said, nodding at the diner. "It's called a horseshoe and it's basically an open faced sandwich with meat, covered with French fries and cheese sauce. Bertie loves Edward to pieces, so he started making it for him whenever he came in. Now it's one of the diner's bestsellers."

Bella chuckled. "Strangely, I'm not surprised. I get the feeling Edward could talk anyone into anything with that gentlemanly charm of his."

They continued back across Chestnut, to the East end of Main St. The building on the corner was a red brick two story with a sign above the glass door with "Lucinda's Appalachia" in flowing red script. The huge windows displayed handmade jewelry and rocks.

"This store is kind of cute, but don't ever let Lucinda Mallory know I said that," Rosalie said, stopping to admire a pink quartz bracelet in the window. "She's an uppity bitch and her daughter is the town bicycle. I can't stand either one of them."

Bella could see jewelry making supplies inside the store and decided to take a look. They walked inside and were hit with the overpowering scent of perfume. Rosalie gagged and Alice cleared her throat.

"I swear, that woman bathes every morning in Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds," she muttered, making Bella laugh. She headed straight for the bins of rocks, gemstones and minerals, admiring the varying sizes of quartz, tourmaline and citrine. There were shelves of jewelry making supplies and Bella remembered making pendants as a child when her mother went through another creative phase. When she saw a beautiful round piece of Rainforest Jasper, she decided it would make a lovely necklace for Alice.

Bella grabbed a little basket and started filling it with stones and gems, different colors of wire and a little set of wire cutters and pliers. The thought of making gifts to send to her friends made her smile and she loved the thought of creating something with her hands.

A little bell tinkled in the shop and Bella looked up to see a dark haired woman float in from a back room in an expensive looking gray pantsuit. The heavy smell of perfume surrounded her like a thick fog and Bella fought hard not to be rude and gag.

The woman would be attractive if her face weren't so distorted with obvious plastic surgery and thick pancake makeup. Her blue eyes were heavily lined in black and lifted unnaturally by Botox. Her lips were as surgically enhanced as her breasts, and her smile looked more like a grimace.

"Well if it isn't Alice Cullen and Rosalie McCarty," the woman purred in phony enthusiasm. "Lovely to see you ladies."

"Mrs. Mallory, you're looking well," Alice lied, going along with the woman's air kisses. Rosalie just nodded, picking up a pair of turquoise earrings before placing them back on the shelf. Bella turned around, finished with her shopping to find herself under the scrutiny of Mrs. Mallory.

"Well I haven't seen you here before, dear," she held out her hand. "I'm Lucinda Mallory, owner of this establishment."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Mallory," Bella said politely, shaking the woman's hand. "I'm Bella Swan."

Lucinda Mallory looked her up and down, face stuck in a sour frown. "Are you one of Alice's little school friends?"

Alice stepped towards Bella, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Bella is a family friend, staying with us for a while."

Rosalie abandoned her perusal of the jewelry, moving to stand on Bella's other side. A smirk played at the corners of her mouth. "We're hoping she'll be staying longer than a while, though. Edward sure is taken with her and Carlisle and Esme are ready to adopt her."

Mrs. Mallory's face pinched, looking from one woman to the other. "How lovely."

She sounded anything but pleased. Bella didn't know what the deal was, but she was already tired of the woman.

"Well I'm done shopping," she said brightly, moving towards the counter. "Are you guys about ready?"

Alice grinned. "Just waiting on you."

Mrs. Mallory rushed behind the counter, fluttering around as she checked Bella out. "How is Edward doing on the library? Lauren said they were about to break ground soon."

Bella rolled her eyes, immediately realizing what Mrs. Mallory's problem with her was. Looked like Mommy Dearest was hoping Edward would be her future son in law.

"He's going over the plans with Jasper this afternoon," Alice said, taking her place beside Bella. "That reminds me, Bella. We need to pick up lunch to take to them soon. You'll have to pick out something special for Edward."

"Yes, you're right," Bella went along with it, finding the pinched look on Mrs. Mallory's face fascinating. She wondered if it would stick like that if she kept it up. "I know exactly what Edward likes."

"I'm sure you do," Rosalie chimed in, giving the frustrated store owner her best smile. Bella quickly paid for her purchases and took the bag. "Nice to see you again, Mrs. Mallory."

"Have a lovely day," Alice gave her a finger wave before taking Bella's arm and leading her towards the door. "Ciao!"

All three were laughing once they reached the blessedly fresh air outside.

"Oh my God, she was pissed!" Alice choked, waving her hand in front of her face. "And Jesus, I thought I was going to suffocate with that damn perfume."

"I take it she wants Edward to take the bicycle off her hands?" Bella asked.

"Lucille and Lauren Mallory are both head over heels for Edward. They're both whores and gold diggers and Lucille thinks that if Lauren were a Cullen, they would be financially set." Rosalie said bluntly. "Of course, Edward can't stand either one of them, but he's too damn polite to tell them to fuck off."

They looked back in the windows to see Lucinda Mallory on the phone behind the counter, her hand swinging around her head in obvious anxiety.

"I'll bet my Porsche that she's talking to Lauren, telling her all about the new competition in town."

"Will Edward be upset that we told her all that?" Bella worried, biting her lip.

Rosalie snorted. "He'll be thrilled. And it's not really a lie. Carlisle and Esme love you already, and I'm pretty sure if Edward doesn't yet, he's on his way there. He never pays that much attention to women but since you arrived, he's barely been away from you."

Butterflies began swarming in Bella's stomach and her heart pounded at her friend's words. Edward had been very attentive since she met him, but she had figured that he was just that way, and considering how they met, that he probably had some protective tendencies towards her. Hearing Rosalie say the "L" word left her breathless. She had never been in love before, didn't really know what to expect or how it would feel.

Alice reached out and playfully poked her arm. "C'mon ladies. We have some more exploring to do."

They continued on their way, stopping next door at an adorable used bookstore. Bella made a few more purchases before they passed an insurance agency and an old movie house. Across Pine St was an empty lot with a sign reading "Home of the Future Chapel Crossing Public Library".

"And that is where Edward's library will go," Alice announced proudly. "And when that's finished, he'll be able to focus completely with Jasper on getting their company started up."

"It'll be the start of the Cullen-Whitlock Empire," Bella teased, hip checking her pixie friend. "They'll build the houses and you and Esme will decorate them. You'll be on HGTV before you know it."

Alice bounced on her heels, clapping her hands in excitement. "Oh, I hope so! We'll be the next Property Brothers, the next Chip and Joanna! It'll be fabulous!"

Rosalie shook her head. "Okay, Fun Sized, time to shop some more. No more staring at an empty lot."

Across Main St from the library site was a small general store with an amazing selection of International spices and products. Bella bought a ravioli cutter, planning to make dinner that night.

All three women went a little crazy at "Fashionista", the boutique next door to Sweet Bites. The owner, Maggie, was a friend of Alice, and had studied fashion design in New York before coming home to Chapel Crossing. Most of her sales were online, but she made more than enough to have her own brick and mortar store as well.

The selection was insane, everything from stunning, intricate lingerie to casual wear to prom and wedding gowns.

"You make all these?" Bella was stunned. "When the hell do you sleep?"

Maggie laughed. "A lot of it is mine, but some things are made by some friends I made back in New York. We've all put money into this store, and we split the sales. I'm more into designing gowns, but my friend Mindy has a crazy love of designing shoes and tee shirts. There's a bit of everything here."

Alice sighed dreamily, holding a deep purple gown up to her body. "I should wear this to the library opening. I know the Women's Association is planning a big opening night gala when the building is complete."

"That's a ways off," Rosalie said, although her eyes were glued to a long sapphire blue gown on the window mannequin.

Bella felt a strange tightness in her chest at their conversation. The thought of being in Florida or somewhere else entirely, while her friends were celebrating Edward's work without her, broke her heart. She wanted to celebrate Edward's accomplishments, too. She wanted him to know how proud she was of him. In less than a week, the entire Cullen/McCarty clan had become extremely important to Bella, and she hated the thought of leaving them behind.

 _You don't have to leave._

But she couldn't stay at the Cullen's house forever, no matter what they said.

 _You can afford your own place._

But if she stayed, what would she do?

 _Culinary or creative writing classes at UT, moron! Edward's already brought up setting up roots here!_

But what about Florida? What about riding those damn teacups or swimming in an ocean where she didn't need a wetsuit?

 _The Cullen's could go too. Just because Dad's letter said to try those things, he didn't mean to leave loved ones behind to do them._

Bella's thoughts were moving a mile a minute. Were things really that simple? The Cullen's had hinted more than once that she should stay. And really, how hard would it be to find her own place in Chapel Crossing and take classes at UT? The commute wasn't too bad to Knoxville.

 _You still need to get behind the wheel without freaking out._

She had forgotten about that. Her stomach churned. What if she were never able to drive again?

 _Drama Queen much?_

Bella sighed. She needed to stop thinking when her subconscious started picking on her.

"What do you think, Bella?"

Bella turned back to Alice, who was holding up the purple dress in one hand and a filmy pink dress in the other. "For the gala?"

Alice nodded and Bella looked between dresses. "I like the purple."

Alice nodded, pleased with her answer as she hung the pink dress back up. Bella noticed that Rosalie had given in and had the sapphire blue dress on a hanger to purchase.

Bella started looking through the tee shirt selection, fighting the urge to look for her own dress. Even if she stayed, that didn't mean she would be invited to the gala. Hell, for all she knew, Lauren Mallory could very well snag her gold digging, whorish claws into Edward and he could ask her to be his date.

 _Bitch better keep her diseased paws off my man!_

"Jesus, shut up," she muttered to herself. If she kept arguing with herself like a lunatic, the Cullen's might have her committed to a mental institution.

"Oh my God, Bella, you have to get this!" Alice suddenly squealed. Bella turned to find her friend holding up a stunning dress in a familiar emerald green.

 _Edward's eyes green._

The dress was perfect. It was a sheer, emerald green tulle with a beaded black lace appliqué and a sheer sweep train. It was a gown fit for a princess. Or a red carpet event.

She stared at the dress longingly. She had never worn something so feminine before, sticking mostly to jeans and tee shirts. Would it look as good on her as it did hanging from Alice's hands?

"Alice, I don't have anywhere to wear that to."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Stop fighting us, Bella! You can wear this to the library opening! You know you love us and we love you! And if you take off to Florida, well we're just going to have to go after you and drag you back."

Rosalie grinned, one sleek blond eyebrow curving in a playful arch. "Don't fight the little one, Bella. She's all knowing."

Alice glared at Rosalie before turning her pout back onto Bella. "You know you love this color. You know _Edward_ will love you in this color."

"Well even if I was here for it, what makes you think Edward would want me there?" Bella knew she was just arguing for the sake of arguing. "By that time, he might decide that Lauren is the girl of his dreams."

Rosalie burst out laughing and Alice let out a shriek of indignation. "Not funny, Bella Swan! Not funny at all!"

Bella chuckled at the look of horror on Alice's face. Sighing, she reached out and took the dress from her friend's hands. The tulle was so soft; airy and elegant and so, so beautiful.

"If you don't buy it, I'm buying it for you," Alice threatened.

"I'm buying the dress," Bella said softly, fingering the delicate beading and lace. "Do you think it would be alright if I went to this thing? Is it an invitation only kind of event?"

Rosalie wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving her a friendly squeeze. "Sweetie, Esme is in the Women's Association. She will want you there just as much as me or Alice. Plus, you're already family. And this is celebrating part of our family."

Alice clapped in glee, bouncing on her heels. "I'm so happy I could burst! This means you're staying, right? You've finally given up this silly notion of leaving us all behind?"

Bella and Rosalie groaned, breaking apart to hang their dresses by the register. "We'll see how it goes, Alice. I need to figure out a few things before I start declaring that I'm moving to town for good."

Alice nodded, hanging up her own dress by the register before heading towards a rack of shorter dresses. "I'll take that for now. It'll give me time to wear you down."

*.*.*

"I'm glad we saved this for last," Alice announced, leading the way into Sweet Bites. "All that shopping has left me exhausted!"

Bella couldn't agree more as she followed her into the bakery. The smell of coffee and fresh baked bread hit her immediately and she groaned in pleasure. And then she got a good look at what smelled so good.

"My God, I'm in Heaven," she murmured.

Rosalie grinned, walking past her. "It tastes even better than it smells. Mrs. Cope is a master of the oven."

It was a fairly good sized bakery, three large cases and the counter with a register at the back of the room with two large cases on the two other sides. A few little round ice cream style tables were scattered in the empty space near the front windows. Shelves behind the back cases displayed baskets of fresh bread loaves and bagels. The floor was black and white patterned linoleum and the walls were a dingy white. Despite the updates it could definitely use, it was homey and warm.

And the cases! Bella could feel the saliva pooling in her mouth at the sight of the full cases. Cupcakes, cookies, full sized cakes, Danishes, doughnuts, pies and little chocolate covered hockey puck looking things that she figured were Edward's beloved Moon Pies.

"I'm gonna get so fat living here," Bella admitted.

"But it'll be so worth it," Alice giggled.

"Do I hear Alice Cullen?" A voice called out from the hidden back room. The swinging door opened and a tiny older lady walked out, wearing a flour covered apron, a pink sweat suit and a huge smile. "I'd recognize that giggle anywhere!"

Alice laughed, rushing around the counter to wrap her arms around the woman. "I've missed you, Mrs. Cope! I've been wasting away at school without your baking!"

Mrs. Cope laughed joyfully, patting Alice on the back with obvious affection. "I was going to tell you that you were too skinny, girl. We need to get a little meat on your bones before you marry that young man of yours."

"Well if anybody could do it, you can," Alice pulled back and smiled lovingly at the woman. "Bella, this is the great Shelley Cope, Queen of the Oven and winner of the Blue Ribbon for 'Best Cupcake in the Region' seven years in a row. Mrs. Cope, this is our dear friend Bella Swan. We're trying to convince her to move to Chapel Crossing for good, and I knew this place would seal the deal."

Mrs. Cope blushed in pleasure at Alice's words. "You sure know how to butter an old woman up, young lady." She turned to face Bella and smiled welcomingly. "Welcome to 'Sweet Bites', dear. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You too, Mrs. Cope. Thank you."

"Please call me Shelley." She reached out to pat Alice's cheek. "I've been trying to get this one to call me Shelley for years. I keep telling her that Mrs. Cope was my mother in law."

"You know my Mama, Mrs. Cope," Alice teased, letting the woman lead her to a table. "If I didn't show you the utmost respect, she'd tan my hide."

Shelley clucked her tongue. "I love your mother to pieces, girl, but Esme has always been the epitome of sweet and polite. Forty some odd years and she still calls me Mrs. Cope."

Bella couldn't help but fall in love with Shelley Cope as she watched the playful banter between the two women. She was everything that Bella pictured a grandmother to look like. Short and smiling with a silvery gray perm and glasses, wearing a flour covered apron. She seemed like the kind of woman who would teach a child how to make cookies and then give them the bowl to lick clean.

Bella sat down at the table with Alice and Rosalie at Shelley's insistence. The woman kept up a steady stream of conversation as she went back and forth, bringing them fresh coffee, Moon Pies and slices of fresh bread with little ramekins of whipped butter and her homemade apple butter.

Bella quietly listened to Shelley and Alice discussing the library as she spread apple butter over a slice of warm bread. At her first bite, though, a moan of absolute pleasure escaped her, interrupting their conversation.

Alice and Rosalie laughed and Shelley beamed in pride. "My grandmother's recipe. Nobody made apple butter like Nana Hall."

"I've never tasted anything this amazing before," Bella admitted before taking another big unladylike bite.

"Everything Shelley makes is incredible," Rosalie said, taking a bite of her own Moon Pie. "Esme had to mail Moon Pies to Edward when he was in Chicago because he was going through withdrawals."

"Edward told me yesterday that when we came here, I had to try the Moon Pies," Bella smiled, remembering his description of his favorite treat.

"That boy," Shelley smiled affectionately. "Like the son I never had. He used to come here before school every morning as a child and I would give him a Moon Pie to take with him and he would come back after school to sweep the floors for me to pay it off. I never would accept his money. He's taken to leaving money under the register when I'm not looking, that sneak."

Bella laughed at the peek into Edward's character. She reached out for her own Moon Pie and took a bite, another moan escaping. Fluffy homemade marshmallow fluff between two crisp chocolate graham cracker cookies and dipped in creamy chocolate. It was like a S'More on crack.

"I think I'm going to have to set up a cot in the back," Bella admitted.

A bell tinkled over the door, announcing the arrival of more customers. Bella was so involved in her Moon Pie that she didn't even look up until she heard a familiar voice that made her heart speed up.

"Shelley! My one true love!" Edward walked into the shop and immediately swept the older women off of her feet and into a hug. Shelley giggled like a schoolgirl, hugging Edward back before demanding that he put her back on solid ground. Edward gently lowered her to her feet and leaned down to kiss her cheek.

Jasper came up from behind Edward, heading straight for Alice to give her a kiss on the top of her head.

"How was your day, sweetheart?" He asked, pulling up a chair to the table that Edward dragged up beside theirs.

"We exhausted ourselves shopping," Alice replied, taking a sip of her coffee.

Edward sat beside Bella and eyeballed the Moon Pie in her hand. "Amazing, isn't it?"

Bella nodded, her mouth too full of marshmallowy goodness to speak. He chuckled at her, leaning over to kiss her puffed out cheek.

Shelley returned with a plate of Moon Pies and two more coffees for the men and Edward threatened to chain her to a chair if she didn't join them.

Bella looked around at the group of friends and was stunned by how much she felt at home there. She felt so comfortable in that moment, as if she belonged there.

They talked and ate until Shelley had to get up and get back to the kitchen and there were only crumbs left on the plates. Edward insisted on carrying their dirty dishes back to the sink and followed her into the back before returning to the table with the coffee pot, refilling everybody's cups.

"So what do you think of our little town?" Edward asked, taking his seat beside Bella.

"I love it," Bella smiled at him, her heart fluttering at his returning grin. "It's so peaceful. And the Moon Pies! My God, they blow everything else I've ever eaten out of the water!"

Rosalie suddenly groaned, catching everybody's attention. She was glaring at the windows and everybody turned to see what she was looking at.

"Well it was peaceful," Jasper chuckled as Alice growled in her chair.

Bella watched as two women sauntered towards the bakery from Lucinda Mallory's shop across the street. Both women looked to be around Bella's age and when she took a hard look at the dark haired one on the left, she recognized the blue eyes and surgically enhanced lips and breasts.

"I'm going to assume that's Lauren Mallory?"

Edward nodded. "You already know of her?"

"Yes, we warned her about the town bicycle," Alice grumbled, wrapping her hands around her coffee cup. "We went into her mother's shop today and I'm sure Lucinda warned her skanky daughter that there was someone new staying with us."

"I wonder if Shelley would mind if I hit them over the head with a chair," Rosalie wondered, making them all laugh.

The bell tinkled over the door and the women walked in. Bella looked them both over from head to toe. While Lauren was a surgically enhanced mess in too tight clothing and pancake makeup, her friend was actually very pretty. Tall and slender with long dark hair and pretty gray eyes, she was dressed in a sky blue sundress that was a conservative knee length and complemented her figure. Both women stared at the table, looking at Bella the longest.

"Eddie!" Lauren squealed, walking over to stand beside him. "I haven't seen you in so long! How have you been?"

Edward forced a polite smile as he looked over at her. "I've been good, Lauren, thank you. Hello Chelsea."

Lauren's friend smiled back. "Edward, nice to see you again."

Lauren zeroed in on Bella and Bella could see the anger and jealousy in the woman's blue eyes. "Who are you?"

"I'm sure your mother told you all about Bella the second we left her store this morning," Alice said in a bored tone, studying her nails. "For all the pancake makeup you wear, Lauren, you're pretty transparent."

Lauren glared at Alice, fire flashing in her eyes. "What crawled up your butt, Alice? I was just being polite."

"More like nosy," Rosalie muttered, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Bella caught Edward's apologetic look and winked at him. He grinned, reaching out to squeeze her hand. Lauren and Chelsea immediately caught the movement. While Lauren's face turned red with jealousy, Chelsea's eyes only widened slightly before her face returned to normal.

"I'm Bella Swan," Bella replied. "You must be Lauren Mallory."

Lauren's smile was just as phony as her mother's. "Oh, you've heard of me?" Her hand landed on Edward's shoulder and he tensed. "Have you been talking about me, Eddie?"

"Actually, your mother mentioned you when we were at your store earlier," Bella said sweetly. "Something about your immunity to penicillin being an issue now?"

Jasper had just taken a sip of coffee and began to choke as soon as the words left Bella's mouth. The entire table burst out laughing and Alice reached out to pound on Jasper's back. Even Chelsea bit her lip to keep from laughing. Lauren just looked confused.

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm allergic to penicillin."

Edward's disguised his laugh with a cough and stood up, dragging Bella with him and causing Lauren's hand to fall from his shoulder. "Well it's been lovely talking to you ladies, but we have to be going."

Lauren's disappointment was visible as she was pushed back by everybody standing up. "You should join us for dinner some evening, Eddie. Mother's been hoping to make you her sweet potato pie."

"Thank your mother for me, Lauren, but I'm really busy with work." He nodded politely at Chelsea before turning back to Bella. "You ready to head out, honey?"

Bella smiled brightly, playing it up for their audience. Leaning against his side, she wrapped her free arm around his waist. "Absolutely, baby. I've missed you today."

They walked past the women and out the door, calling a goodbye to Shelley, who poked her head out of the kitchen and waved pleasantly.

"Bella, sweetie, you be sure to come back and visit with me. I'll make up a batch of apple butter for you to take with you," she offered.

"I will, Shelley, thank you so much!" Bella waved back as the door was closing.

Alice was clinging to Jasper's arm, both of them still laughing. Rosalie wrapped her arms around Bella and hugged her tightly. "My God, that was the greatest thing I've ever heard! You are a genius!"

Edward grinned down at her. "Who knew that behind that sweet, innocent face was a kitten with sharp claws?"

Bella snorted. "I don't deal with that passive aggressive bullshit she was spouting. I can't stand that phony act. It annoyed me from her mother this morning and I'm not going to smile and take it from her."

Alice hip checked Bella. "I can't wait to tell Mom. She'll be so proud of you."

They headed towards Edward's truck, which was parked beside the Porsche. Bella held him back as the others walked forward.

"I hope you didn't mind the whole possessive thing I did back there," Bella bit her lip anxiously. "You just tensed up when she touched you and my bitch came out."

Edward smiled at her, reaching out to brush her hair behind her ear. "I have to admit, I really like when 'your bitch comes out'. And the possessive thing was pretty hot."

Bella chuckled as he leaned down to pull her into a hug. "Good. 'Cause I have a feeling that one is going to bring the bitch out quite a bit."

"She does, believe me. Unfortunately, Mom would take a switch to my backside if I were ever rude to a lady. Although Lauren Mallory isn't much of a lady."

"Well I'll try to be polite around Esme, but if she messes with you again, all bets are off."

Edward grinned. "I look forward to it."

*.*.*

 **A/N: What brings your bitch out?**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.**_

 _ **This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.**_

CHAPTER TEN

Emmett and Rosalie lived in an adorable Craftsman style house on a huge lot on the corner of South and Cherry, not far from the Cullen's property. It had a sweet white picket fence and ornamental redbud trees in the front yard. It was the perfect house to raise a family in, which Bella knew that both of her new friends looked forward to one day.

It was Saturday and the McCarty's were hosting an evening barbecue for the extended family. Emmett's parents, Jackson and Anna, would be there along with all the Cullen's, Jasper and Bella. From the on the fly family history lesson that Alice and Rosalie had given Bella, she knew that Esme and Anna were sisters and Carlisle and Jackson were best friends. They had all grown up together and double dated as teenagers. In fact, according to Alice, they still had a long standing date night set up every third Sunday of the month.

Bella found it endearing at how close the Cullen/McCarty clan was. She had never known the kind of strong family ties that these people had with each other and she felt such longing wanting to be a part of that.

The family barbecue would be a pot luck of sorts and Bella was thrilled to be able to pitch in and help. The men would be taking over the "manly" grilling duties while Esme spent that morning baking a massive peach cobbler. Alice and Edward brought out their ice cream maker and she had laughed at the sight of the brother and sister lounging in the kitchen sharing a pitcher of margaritas while the ice cream maker did its thing. Anna would be bringing the macaroni and cheese and cornbread while Rosalie was making sweet potato salad, baked beans and deviled eggs. Bella pitched in and made pecan pie bars, kale and spinach sautéed with bacon and a giant round thermos of strawberry lemonade.

Bella rode over to the barbecue with Edward, who offered the use of his truck to haul all of the food. It was a win/win for her, not only because she loved talking with Edward, but she got the chance to ogle him in his black board shorts and tight Tool tee shirt without the others teasing her for being so obvious. In her defense, she wasn't the only one ogling. Bella had chosen to wear the sleeveless green sundress that day in hopes of getting more of Edward's not so subtle glances in her direction. She was pleased that it worked quite well.

When they reached the McCarty's house, Bella was going to help carry the food in but was shooed off by the men. She stood with Alice and Rosalie in amusement as Carlisle, Edward, Emmett and Jasper tried to prove their strength by carrying in the most items in one trip, while Esme supervised.

"While they're being cavemen, let me show you our humble abode," Rosalie offered, leading the way into the house.

Bella loved the McCarty home from the start. She walked into a great room with beautiful dark hardwood floors that ran the entire length of the lower level. The walls were a comforting sage green with cream trim and the kitchen rocked green and cream subway tiles. Bella fell in love with the old fashioned white cabinetry, concrete countertops and stainless steel appliances. The living area had a huge comfortable looking grey sectional that faced a huge flat screen TV over a beautiful fireplace made of river rock, while the dining area was dominated by a huge 12 seater pecan wood dining table. Off a small hallway was a full bathroom done in white subway tiles and a guest room.

Upstairs, the same hardwood floors and mellow color scheme followed, and Bella was impressed with the other two bedrooms, a Jack and Jill bathroom, and a large master suite.

"You have a beautiful home, Rosalie," Bella praised, taking in the family photos hanging in the hallway. "It's so relaxing here."

"Thank you," Rosalie beamed in pride.

Bella paused at a large family photo that was surrounded by dozens of smaller ones. She chuckled at a much younger Edward and Alice, who were sitting on a pristine white sofa in their Sunday finest, beside an uncomfortable looking Emmett who looked quite unhappy in his suit and tie. Carlisle and Esme were standing behind the sofa with another beautiful couple who Bella guessed was Emmett's parents. But sitting next to Emmett, in a blue lace knee length dress, was a small girl with a riot of dark curls and dark eyes. She looked prim and proper, sitting in the formal setting, but Bella could read the mischief in the girl's face. Looking at the other smaller photos, the mystery girl was in quite a few of them, varying in age from toddler up to her teens. Formal photos of the group in prom attire and casual photos from picnics and school functions covered the wall.

Bella had to do a double take on a few of the photos. When the girl had straightened her hair, she looked remarkably like Bella. While the girl's hair was a lighter brown and her eyes had a hint of hazel swimming in the brown, Bella could almost pretend that she was in the pictures with everybody else.

"Who is this?" She couldn't help but ask.

Rosalie smiled sadly. "That was Emmett's older sister, Natasha. She died about ten years ago."

Bella swallowed hard, staring at the photos again. She expected to feel sadness for her friend's loss, but was stunned by just how much grief she felt at the thought of that lively girl in the photos being gone forever. She absentmindedly rubbed her hand over her chest as she stared at the different pictures.

Rosalie and Alice stood on either side of her, all of them staring at the large center frame. Bella desperately wanted to know if the resemblance was there or only in her head but she bit her tongue. Was this why they were so nice to her? Because she reminded them of a long lost loved one? Was the resemblance enough that it would make Emmett's parent's uncomfortable?

Bella felt an arm snake around her waist and Alice leaned up towards her ear.

"Don't worry, Bella," she murmured, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "There is some resemblance between you and Nat, but not enough to cause any confusion or sadness."

Loud voices downstairs announced the arrival of Jackson and Anna McCarty and Bella blinked, looking away from the wall of pictures. She was suddenly apprehensive at the idea of going downstairs and desperately wanted to make her escape, but her friends seemed to read her mind, because they each took one of her hands and led her down the stairs between them.

Jackson McCarty was a large bear of a man just like his son. His dark hair was turning silver at the temples, but his clear blue eyes were full of youth and happiness. Anna McCarty was a little taller than Bella and shared Esme's beautiful caramel colored hair, green eyes and youthful features. The family resemblance was uncanny.

Jackson looked over and caught sight of the three women. His eyes lit up as they landed on his daughter in law. "Rosebud! Where's my hug, young lady?"

Rosalie chuckled, walking over to give her in laws a hug. "Sorry Jack, I didn't want to get caught between you and Em. Last time I broke a nail."

Jackson's laugh was loud and infectious and everybody joined in. The room filled with people as everybody greeted the newcomers and Bella stepped back slightly, trying to figure out how to blend into the wall. Her plan to become invisible was thwarted, though, as Edward appeared suddenly at her side, the sexy cocky grin on his face.

"Are you becoming one with the drywall?" He teased. Bella smiled slightly, glancing at the others from the corner of her eye.

"Possibly," she admitted. His smile dimmed slightly, replaced by concern and he was about question her sudden nerves when Emmett announced her presence.

"And this pretty little lady is Bella Swan," his loud voice boomed jovially and Bella looked away from Edward, to face the small crowd. Her stomach clenched in anxiety as the McCarty's took her in.

Jackson just smiled brightly, walking straight to her and pulling her into a huge hug, lifting her off her feet. "I've heard so much about you, Bella Swan. It's great to finally meet you."

Bella chuckled, hugging him back. "Thank you, Mr. McCarty. It's good to meet you too."

"Just Jack and Anna, darling," Anna said kindly, wrapping her arms around Bella the moment her husband set her back on her feet. "We're so glad you're here. Emmett told us you gave him and Edward quite a scare the other day. Thank God you're okay!"

Anna's hug was just as motherly as Esme's and Bella couldn't help but hug her back. Her heart felt heavy at the same time, though, just knowing that the lovely woman treating her so kindly had suffered such a devastating loss. "I owe everything to the both of them. To all of them, really. Everybody has been so amazing to me."

"Well I can't argue with my Amazingness," Emmett boasted, standing up straight and proud. Rosalie slapped his arm, rolling her eyes before heading towards the kitchen. "Well Mr. Amazing, I think it's high time you start funneling all that amazing into your grilling duties. We've got a kitchen full of food waiting to be eaten."

At the mention of food, Emmett was gone in a flash, barely managing to grab a platter of raw meat from the counter before tearing out the back door.

"Shall we head to the manly grilling station, gentlemen?" Carlisle joked, leading Jasper and Jack outside.

"Bella made some strawberry lemonade that would be fantastic in a blender with some tequila," Alice announced, grinning over at Bella. "I say we make a few pitchers of margaritas and get this party started."

Anna chuckled, wrapping an arm around Alice and leading her towards the kitchen. "You look like you've started the party early, young lady."

Esme and Rosalie followed and Bella was about to when Edward reached out to stop her with a hand on her arm. "Stay back with me for a minute?"

Bella nodded, not stopping him from turning her to face him fully. His beautiful eyes held a little bit of concern as he reached out to brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"What's the matter? You looked so nervous a few minutes ago. Were you worried about meeting my aunt and uncle?"

Bella shrugged, looking down at her feet. "Maybe a little."

"May I ask why?"

She sighed, glancing behind her to make sure they were out of earshot. "When Rosalie gave me the tour, I saw the pictures upstairs."

Confusion was replaced with understanding on Edward's face and a flash of sadness played in his eyes. "Natasha?"

Bella nodded. "Rosalie told me she passed away and I look a little bit like she did. I was worried that it would upset Jack and Anna to see me."

Edward gave her a sad little smile. "There are elements of you that resemble Nat in a way; your small stature and dark hair and eyes, for instance. But not so much that we would look at you and think of her."

Bella felt a tiny bit of relief at his words. She had to admit, Jack and Anna did not show any kind of discomfort at their introductions, and nobody else made her feel like she was some sad replacement for a lost loved one.

Edward's sad smile morphed into mischief right before her eyes. "I have to admit, I'm glad the resemblance isn't too great. I'd hate to feel guilty every time I stared at your ass."

Bella choked out a laugh, smacking his arm playfully. "You perv! What would Esme say?"

Edward's eyes twinkled as he slung his arm over her shoulders. "She would say that I wasn't too old to be turned over her knee, so we're not gonna tell her."

"Why Edward Cullen," Bella whispered scandalously. "Are you suggesting that we keep a secret from your Mama?"

"I will never outgrow Southern Mom Guilt," he joked, leading her towards the kitchen. "Stick around and you'll learn this first hand."

*.*.*

Bella had never seen so much food in one place in her entire life.

The countertops and the island in the kitchen were covered with desserts, side dishes and salads. A large picnic table in the backyard was covered with platters of grilled meats. There was a cooler full of bottled beer, a cooler full of soda, Bella's big thermos of strawberry lemonade, and a pitcher of the margaritas that Alice made from the lemonade. They all sat on the patio at a massive twelve seater table that Emmett and Jack had made together out of weatherproofed cherry wood.

Bella's sides hurt from laughing so hard. All throughout dinner, she heard every possible embarrassing story that the parents had about their children. From Alice backing into a parked car in Drivers Ed and failing her first driving test to Edward trying to impress a girl in his middle school class with his athletic prowess, only to end up slipping in a pile of dog poop in front of the girl. Even though Rose's parents were living in Florida, the Cullen's and the McCarty's had plenty of embarrassing moments of hers to bring up. Poor Rose was red faced and groaning in humiliation when Carlisle teased her about being so nervous drawing blood for the first time in nursing school that she kept dropping the needles and having to open up new sterile ones.

Emmett by far had the most embarrassing moments, but the burly teddy bear seemed to puff his chest out in pride at each story. The only story that caused his ears to turn pink was one from Edward, where a high school Emmett had run out of the boy's locker room naked as a jaybird and screaming like a girl because he saw a spider in the showers.

Jack and Anna seemed to find Bella fascinating when Emmett and Alice started bringing up her road trip. After Emmett had demolished his second slab of ribs and third burger, he had run off into the house only to return with his laptop, pulling up Bella's Facebook page to show the pictures and videos to his parents. Bella groaned when she heard the familiar strains of "I Can't Help Falling in Love" from the speakers while everybody else laughed and cheered.

"Where were you headed when you got caught up here?" Anna asked, taking a sip from her newly refilled margarita glass.

"Gatlinburg," Bella answered. "I had a reservation for a week at a cabin there. I was getting pretty sick of driving by that point and just wanted to be lazy for a little bit."

"That is a pretty long stretch of road, even with the stops you made," Jack said, barely taking his eyes off the laptop screen where he was smiling over the photos. "Looks like you made a lot of friends along the way."

Bella smiled. "I did. I was lucky to have met such great people at my stops. Being able to keep in touch with them has been amazing."

"We've been fighting for custody online with them," Alice piped up, grinning over at Bella. "They're underestimating the Cullen/McCarty/Whitlock determination in this situation. We won't stop until Bella stays here for good."

Emmett and Edward whooped in agreement and Bella chuckled.

"Nobody would dare to call you anything but determined, Alice Cullen," she said, smiling back at her friend.

"So what were your plans for after Gatlinburg?" Anna inquired.

"I was starting to consider finding a place to stay for a while," Bella admitted. "Maybe stop somewhere in Florida and rent an apartment. See if I could find a place that felt like it could be home for me."

"Why Florida?" Emmett asked, leaning back dangerously far in his seat to grab another beer from the cooler nearby.

Bella shrugged, swirling the melting ice around the bottom of her nearly empty glass. "After I graduated, I received an inheritance from my parents and the lawyer had given me a letter from my father. Dad wanted me to see the country before I settled down, and suggested I ride the teacups at Disney and swim in an ocean that I didn't need a wetsuit in. I wanted to make it down there and do those things before stopping the trip for any extended amount of time. Of course, then the accident happened and my plans were put on hold for a while."

Alice leaned forward, closer to Bella. "I haven't been to Disney in years. Maybe we could all take a vacation down there this summer? Disney's no fun without friends and family."

Emmett squealed like a kid in a candy store and actually bounced in his seat. "Yes! And we can hit up Universal Studios afterwards and then lounge at the beach somewhere! Family vacay!"

Alice chuckled, waving her arm towards Emmett. "Em's right. That way, you can do the things your dad wanted you to do, we'll all get a family vacation, and then you can come back here with us where you belong."

Bella felt her heart flutter as she looked around the table at everybody. They were all grinning at her and nodding in agreement at Alice's suggestion. When she met Edward's stare, she couldn't keep her teeth from sinking into her lower lip. The hope and excitement was clear as day in his beautiful eyes.

"Are you all sure?" Bella asked, forcing herself to look away from Edward to make eye contact with everybody around the table. "If I stay, I'll need help finding an apartment. I'll need to find a job, because I'd drive myself insane doing nothing all day. Preferably something close to where I rent until I get over this silly driving phobia."

"There is nothing silly about your fear, Bella," Carlisle spoke up firmly. "You were in a terrifying situation while driving and nobody expects you to jump behind the wheel right away."

"And you are more than welcome to remain with us, dear," Esme offered, her eyes sparkling in excitement. "We have plenty of room and it's been a joy having you here."

Bella smiled at Esme, reaching out to squeeze the woman's hand. "I appreciate that so much, Esme, but I think I need to find a place of my own. I've never lived by myself before and I think it would be good for me."

Esme patted her hand reassuringly. "That's fine, but I expect you at our home for dinner at least once a week, young lady. And if you need anything at all, you pick up your phone and call any one of us."

Bella's heart soared. She was ecstatic to see how excited her friends were at her decision to stay. And the anxiety of leaving them all behind, leaving Edward behind, melted away like ice cream on a sunny day.

"Then I guess I'm staying."

The collective cheer made her laugh.

*.*.*

Bella leaned back in the passenger seat of Edward's truck and let out a happy, exhausted sigh.

It was almost midnight and the barbecue/celebration party had finally come to an end. The parents had left earlier that evening, not wanting to be up all night when they planned to get up early for church the next morning. Everybody else had remained, lounging in the backyard and going over the available local rentals and job opportunities for Bella's consideration.

Since Chapel Crossing was such a small town, there really wasn't a lot to choose from apartment or job wise. The diner was hiring for a waitress for the 6am to 1pm shift and the salon was looking for a new nail technician, which Bella ruled out right away from lack of experience. She would inquire about the waitress job on Monday, though.

As for apartments, there was one small complex at the north end of town, but they didn't know if there were any available for rent. There were a few small houses though that she could look into.

Edward looked over at her from behind the wheel, his smile a permanent fixture on his face ever since she said she would stay. Bella grinned back at him.

"I'm so glad you're staying," he said for the tenth time, reaching out to squeeze her hand. She squeezed back automatically.

"So am I."

Her heart fluttered when he didn't pull his hand back, instead laying their clasped hands on the armrest between them. His thumb absently stroked hers slowly as he focused on the road ahead.

"Do you think Jacob will be upset if you stay here instead of going back to him and Sam?"

"I think he'll be a little sad that I'm not there, but he'll be happy that I'm here and not by myself in Florida. He trusts you and your family." Bella answered honestly, grinning over the call she knew she would be making to her best friend very soon. "Plus, he'll be happy that I'm not staying with the Denali's. He's still annoyed with them at the bungee jumping idea."

Edward laughed. "So taking you skydiving is out if I want to stay on his good side?"

Bella snorted. "He has no room to talk. He was the one who talked me into cliff jumping the first time. If my adrenaline fueled activities are anybody's fault, they're his."

It wasn't five minutes before Edward pulled into the Cullen's driveway. He shut off the engine but didn't move to get out of the truck. He remained still, his hand still holding Bella's between them.

"It will be strange to be here and not see you every day," he admitted softly.

Bella felt her face heat up pleasantly. "You'll still see me, though. It's a small town and I'll still come over. You might get sick of me."

"Impossible." Edward grinned over at her. They were silent for a few minutes, neither one of them in a rush to go inside. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything," she murmured honestly. She had no secrets from him.

He was quiet for another minute before speaking again. "You said after you lost your parents, that you went to live with Jake?" When she answered in the affirmative, he continued. "From what Jake said, he's a little younger than you. What happened to his parents? Was there anybody there to take care of you two?"

Bella wrinkled her nose at the thought of Billy Black. She hoped that he was miserable and alone in his little house on the reservation. "Jake's mother died when we were kids. His father, Billy, was driving and there was an accident. She was killed instantly and Billy was paralyzed from the waist down." She paused, wondering how much she should tell Edward and decided to let him in on everything. There was no need to keep anything quiet. "When Mom and Dad died, Billy was named my guardian."

"Is he still alive?" Edward wondered aloud. "You never speak of him."

"I assume he's alive," Bella shrugged, not really caring either way. "Billy was a controlling, alcoholic piece of shit. He was nasty and abusive and a lousy thief."

Edward's hand tightened around hers and he swallowed audibly. "Did he hurt you?"

"He mainly focused his anger at Jake," Bella answered, closing her eyes at the memories of her former life. "He yelled a lot, threw things at him. Made us both feel like we were worthless. I wanted to run away but Jake was afraid to leave Billy alone, even after everything. At the time, I thought I only had a tiny bit of money in savings from the sale of my parent's house, and we didn't have a lot to run away with."

The cab of the truck was silent for a moment and when Edward spoke again, his voice was tight. "He _mainly_ focused his anger at Jake? So he did hurt you."

Bella sighed, looking down at their clasped hands. "He had decided that me and Jake would get married and live in the house with him after I graduated. Jake would work and I would stay at home barefoot and pregnant and taking care of his worthless ass. When he first 'informed' me of his decision, I laughed out loud. It was absurd and I thought he had to be drunk or joking." She paused, rubbing her free hand over her eyes tiredly. "He threw his remote at me; hit me in the face with it. That was the first time that Jake tried to stand up to him."

Bella was startled by the angry growl that came from the man beside her. "That son of a bitch. I could break his neck for that."

She squeezed his hand tightly, reassuring him. "I'm fine, Edward. That's in the past now. I found out about my inheritance the day after I graduated and we finally had the means to leave it all behind us. We got Sam and left and we didn't look back."

"Did he not know that his son was gay and in love with Sam? Why would he try to force your hands into getting married?" Bella could tell that Edward was struggling with Billy's behavior. She couldn't blame him. He had grown up surrounded by love and support; there wasn't anything he could do to warrant his parents or his family to push him into a life of unhappiness. The entire idea was foreign to him.

"Billy didn't know about Jake and Sam; he would have killed him if it came out that his only son was gay." Bella said quietly. It still broke her heart to think of how her dear friend had suffered for so long, keeping his true self buried behind fear and shame. For everything that had happened since the inheritance, she was mostly grateful that he was able to break away and now was living a life where he didn't have to pretend to be someone else. "And if he had known, Billy wouldn't have changed his plans to make his son happy. If we were married and living under Billy's roof, he could control us for the rest of his life. He would get money from Jake working and I would be taking care of him, cleaning and cooking and bringing home his damn beer. Not to mention, he knew about my inheritance all along," her voice turned rough as anger swept through her. "He kept it from me, thinking he could get his hands on it without me ever finding out. I had no idea about it until a friend told me after my graduation. She knew what was going on and put her foot down."

Edward's breathing became more harsh with each word she spoke, until he pulled his hand away from hers, gripping the steering wheel in front of him with crushing force. Bella watched in silence as he leaned forward, resting his forehead on the wheel.

"Did he try to stop you from leaving?" His voice was harsh and raspy with anger and she fought the urge to reach out and touch him.

"No. Sue gave me the lawyer's information and her husband took Billy for an overnight fishing trip the next morning. We were gone by the time he got back." She finally smiled, remembering Jenks telling her about Billy's angry call after they left Washington. "He came home to find an empty house, our cell phones by his remote and a nice little note telling him to fuck off."

She was relieved to see the corner of Edward's mouth tip up slightly at that last revelation. He still looked furious, but he was trying to control his anger and heavy breathing.

The cab of the truck was silent for a few long minutes before Edward sighed, his head falling back against the seat. He glanced to the right, meeting Bella's eyes. Her heart clenched at his expression and she would give just about anything to take that haunted look from his face. Without a word, he reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing again before laying them clasped on the armrest once more.

"I'm so sorry for what you and Jacob went through," he said sadly. "I have the worst urge to get Emmett and Jasper and take a trip out to Washington just to get face to face with this bastard. Put the fear of God into him."

Bella smiled back sadly. "It's in the past, Edward. We got away, Jake and Sam are together and happy and I found my own happy and made a big extended family in the process. Billy Black is not worth the energy it takes to even think of him."

Edward brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it softly. "You're amazing, Bella; strong, smart and such a loving soul. We are incredibly blessed to have you here with us."

Bella blushed furiously, not knowing how to respond to such a statement. Instead, she looked down and closed her eyes. Whispered a soft 'thank you'. And when she felt the warm brush of his lips on her forehead, her heart fluttered.

*.*.*

 **A/N: I apologize for the delay with this chapter. Writer's block is a bitch, but she's currently pinned to the floor with my foot on her head.**


	12. Chapter 12

_**Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.**_

 _ **This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.**_

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"I think this is the last box," Alice declared, plopping said box on the floor beside the sofa. Bella grinned over at her friend before taking in her new home.

The week had flown by and Bella was amazed by the turn of events. The Sunday afternoon after the barbecue, Esme had hinted to Bella that Mrs. Cope might be looking for an apprentice at Sweet Bites. And that Mrs. Cope might have a secret addiction to chocolate filled croissants, but never had the time to make them herself.

Bella had spent Sunday evening baking, trying her hand at a number of different French pastries, finally filling a small box with her best chocolate filled croissants, Profiteroles, and Éclairs. Her new extended family had thoroughly enjoyed her baking skills, devouring the pastries that Bella had declared were not for Mrs. Cope.

Monday morning, Edward had dropped Bella off at Sweet Bites on his way to work and with a mess of butterflies in her stomach, she had walked into the little shop and presented the treats to a surprised and delighted baker.

Twenty minutes and an empty box later, Bella was the new assistant baker at Sweet Bites. After a quick call to Esme to let her know she would be back to the house later on, she tied on an apron and watched in awe as Shelley Cope worked her magic.

The older woman worked like a well oiled machine, dumping flour and sugar into mixing bowls without measuring, the recipes ingrained in her since childhood. Bella took notes on measurements, committing everything to memory and loving every second of it. She watched Shelley make apple butter and jams, breads and doughnuts and Danishes, cookies and cupcakes and Moon Pies. She was blown away that one little elderly woman made so many things by herself six days a week and vowed to make the baker's life easier by taking some of the tasks off of her hands.

When Bella had mentioned that she was looking to rent an apartment in town, Shelley had wiped off her floured hands on her apron and scuttled into the tiny closet office, returning with a key.

"There's an apartment upstairs, through that door," she said, nodding towards a door at the back of the kitchen. "Go on up and check it out. If you like it, you can move on in."

Shelley had owned the building her bakery was in for decades, but the upstairs apartment had been mainly used for storage. She had rented it out a few times, but the last renter had left a few years before.

Bella was stunned when she walked into the apartment. It was a studio and quite large for just herself. The floors were original hardwood, the walls were exposed brick and the ceiling consisted of beautiful pressed tin copper tiles. The front of the apartment boasted two huge bay windows while the back windows were newer sliders. There was a wrought iron queen sized bed and a wooden armoire in the front corner, partially blocked off from the rest of the room by an elaborate wood paneled screen; a vintage wood trimmed sofa upholstered in dark green and a round coffee table in the other front corner. The kitchen appliances looked straight out of the 1950's; a refrigerator/freezer with one door and a matching cream colored free standing stove. Two small counters, a farm sink below one of the slider windows, and three little white wooden cabinets on top. A little round kitchen table with a white top and chrome sides with two matching red vinyl chairs. A door against the far side wall led to a small bathroom with a claw foot tub with shower attachment, a pedestal sink and toilet.

Bella instantly fell in love with the charming little apartment and felt a burst of giddy excitement at the thought of living there and working in the bakery downstairs every day. She immediately ran downstairs and told Shelley that she absolutely loved it.

They haggled for a little bit at the rent; Shelley didn't want to charge her as a new employee but Bella insisted. They decided on three hundred a month to be taken out of Bella's paychecks, utilities included.

Her new family had been thrilled at the turn of events, although sad that she would be moving out of the Cullen's beautiful home.

Esme and Alice had volunteered to help her clean the apartment before moving in. A bit of dust had settled over everything since the last renter moved out and Bella gratefully accepted the help. Rosalie showed up when she got off work, bringing new freshly laundered sheets and blankets for the bed and towels for the bathroom. When the apartment was sparkling, Esme and Alice stood back, chattering amongst themselves about decorating ideas for the space.

By the time she was completely moved in, the Cullen women had added a few plants and colorful rugs to the room and afghans and pillows to the bay window seats. There were retro salt and pepper shakers and a napkin dispenser on her little kitchen table. Emmett and Edward had carried up a new television set that Alice declared was a housewarming gift for Bella. Anna had even presented her with a beautiful patchwork quilt for her bed.

Bella looked around her completed apartment and released a giddy sigh. Alice stood beside her, looking around the room proudly.

"It's really a beautiful space, Bella," the pixie said, grinning widely. "I can tell you're going to be so happy here."

Bella smiled back, wrapping Alice up in a hug. "I feel it too. I can't believe it's mine."

They admired the space for a few more minutes before the door opened and the rest of the Cullen's, McCarty's and Jasper came in, loaded down with food and packages.

"We come bearing housewarming food," Edward teased, leaning down to kiss Bella's cheek before walking by with a huge pan of macaroni and cheese.

"And cookware!" Esme spoke up, carrying a good sized box in her arms. "You can't cook without the best!"

Bella shook her head in amazement at the boxes being deposited in her kitchen. Was there no end to their generosity? Her eyes bugged out when she saw the picture on the box that Carlisle had in his arms.

"This is too much!" she gasped, looking around at them. It was a 10 piece copper cookware set easily setting them back a thousand dollars.

"Nonsense, dear," Jackson passed her with a smacking kiss to her forehead, his own arms full. "You're going to need the best once you start your culinary classes."

Once she had gotten the job and apartment, Bella had decided that she wanted to take the culinary courses at UT. Classes started in about a month and she was praying that she could get behind the wheel of a car without having a panic attack by then. She refused Edward's offer of driving her to and from class, telling him that she wasn't going to have him go out of his way five days a week for twelve weeks like that. She would suck it up and work on her fear and drive herself to Knoxville each day.

Besides the cookware set, they had given her a beautiful professional knife set in a hard case that she could take to classes with her; a professional mixer, a blender and a Keurig with a ridiculously big box of assorted K-Cups. Rosalie brought in a 16 piece dinnerware set in a pretty slate gray and Emmett followed carrying a box of flatware and a huge Tupperware of fried chicken.

When everything was unpacked and everybody had full plates of food, Bella took in her family and felt her heart fill to capacity. The joy she felt at being part of this group was nearly overwhelming, something she never thought she would feel after losing her parents.

"I can't thank you guys enough," she spoke up suddenly, not wanting another minute to go by without them knowing how much they meant to her. "You saved my life, took me in and made me a part of your family without a second thought. I never thought I would be a part of a family like this and I just wanted you to know how much I love all of you."

Esme and Anna blinked back tears and abandoned their plates, rushing forward to hug and kiss Bella.

"Oh sweetheart, thank _you_ for coming into our lives and staying," Esme sniffled, brushing Bella's hair back from her eyes. "We love you so much and we're so grateful for you."

It was a few minutes before everybody returned to their food and they stuffed themselves silly. Even with Emmett the human vacuum going back for fourths, there were plenty of leftovers for Bella to last a couple days.

It was late when everybody started to head out. Edward was the last one left once Alice and Jasper left and Bella wasn't quite ready for him to leave.

"Would you like to try out the new Keurig with me?" she asked, suddenly feeling a bit bashful in his presence. Edward just grinned and nodded, following her into the kitchen. They joked around as they dug in the assortment of K Cups, both of them deciding on an Italian blend.

With full cups, they sat down on the sofa, facing each other. Edward smiled softly at her as she took a small sip of her coffee.

"I love seeing you so happy," he said quietly.

"I haven't been this happy in a long time," she admitted, setting her mug on the coffee table. "It's been almost effortless since I got here; everything seems to have fallen into place without really trying." Bella chuckled, shaking her head. "It's almost scary."

At his eyebrow quirk, she continued. "I'm almost waiting for the other shoe to drop. I don't want to be that way, but for so long, things weren't very good. This is pretty foreign to me."

"We'll have to work on that then," Edward said simply, stretching his arm along the back of the sofa, his fingers playing absently with the ends of her hair. "Eventually, happy and content will be normal and any other feelings will be foreign."

The silence that followed was comfortable as they stared at each other and Bella felt her heart start to thump as she took in Edward's beautiful face. She wanted so badly for him to kiss her.

 _Why wait for him to kiss you?_

 _Woman up and kiss him, you wimp!_

Bella could see the look of longing in Edward's eyes and she threw out a mental "fuck it" and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his.

She had planned on a quick peck to feel out the situation, but the moment their lips met, she was a goner. She melted when she felt his hand cup the back of her head as he took charge of the kiss. Whisper soft brushes of the lips slowly morphed into a more heated embrace and Bella moaned when his tongue slid against her own. She could taste the coffee on him, along with a slight hint of the chocolate from the Moon Pie's she had made for dessert. One moment, they were side by side and then she was straddling him, her hands running through his hair while his moved up her back to pull her closer.

"God, Bella," he whispered harshly, pulling back slightly to look at her face. She was breathing heavily, her own stare lost in deep green. At the same time, they grinned at each other and their mouths fused together once more.

Effortless. Like everything else with Edward, kissing him was effortless. She had never expected kissing to feel so good, but kissing him felt _damn good_. And addicting. Bella felt as if she could kiss him until the world came to an end and it still would not be enough.

She giggled when he playfully bit her bottom lip and he grinned against her mouth before his tongue was back, sliding against hers and her giggle morphed into a moan of pleasure. She tightened her hands in his hair, delighting in the feel of the silky soft strands against her fingers, and his arms tightened around her in response, his large hands almost covering her back.

Time lost all meaning and Bella forgot all about the need for oxygen until Edward's lips moved away from hers, only to brush sensually along her jaw and down her neck. She shivered in his arms, moaning at the new sensations assaulting her body.

"Go on a date with me," he murmured, lightly nipping her pulse point before moving his lips up to her ear.

"Absolutely," she moaned back as he bit gently on her earlobe, causing an involuntary clenching of her hands in his hair.

"Tomorrow after the bakery closes," his mouth moved back down her jaw to her lips again. "I'll pick you up at three."

"Make it four," she managed to mumble between kisses. "I'll need to shower."

"I don't mind if you smell like cake," he argued playfully and Bella's giggle escaped from between their lips. They pulled apart slightly and stared at each other, both flushed in the cheeks and wearing matching grins.

"God, I've wanted to kiss you since you opened your eyes in my parent's guest room," he admitted, reaching up to brush her hair behind her ear. Bella blushed, feeling her heart do a joyful flip in her chest.

"Funny, that's about how long I've wanted to kiss you, too," she teased, leaning her forehead against his. "Even before I saw your butt in those jeans."

Edward laughed, pulling her into a crushing hug. "God, I love that smart mouth of yours. You're a breath of fresh air, Bella."

Bella hugged him back just as tightly, burying her face in his neck to breathe him in.

Effortless.

*.*.*

Saturday afternoon found Bella behind the register at Sweet Bites while Shelley finished washing the last load of pans in the kitchen. They had been steady since about eight thirty that morning and most of what they baked that morning had been purchased and devoured. Bella had set a few loaves of bread aside to make bread pudding for Sunday dinner at the Cullen's house but the rest of the left over baked goods would be packed up and donated to the homeless shelters in Sevierville. It was something that Shelley did with the remaining goods every day after closing and Bella admired the older woman very much for her kindness.

Bella was wiping off the counter around the coffee pot when the bell over the door announced another customer. She looked up to see Lauren Mallory's friend Chelsea walk in with a tall dark haired man behind her. Both were dressed impeccably, Chelsea in a flattering light pink skirt and cream camisole and the man in an expensive looking charcoal suit and tie. Their dark hair and eyes were similar enough for Bella to realize that he must be Chelsea's brother.

"Hello again, Bella is it?" Chelsea asked politely as she perused the remaining goods in the cases. "I heard you were working here now."

"Yes, I am. It's nice to see you again, Chelsea." Bella could be polite too, even though by the other woman's tone, it was only a formality. The man gave her a charming smile and leaned against the counter.

"Bella, what a lovely name," he drawled, eyeing her from head to countertop. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my dear. I'm Demetri Volturi, Attorney at Law."

Bella felt her eyebrow arch in amusement at the title he felt the need to tack onto the end of his introduction. She knew his type; rich and arrogant and looking for a trophy to hang on his arm. Politeness kicked in, though, and she wiped her hands off on her apron before reaching out to shake his outstretched hand.

"Bella Swan. Nice to meet you, Mr. Volturi."

"Demetri, please," he covered their clasped hands with his free one and squeezed. "We rarely see a new face in Chapel Crossing. How long have you been in town?"

"A few weeks," Bella replied, pulling her hand back from his grip. "What can I get you two today?"

"There should be an order for Jane Volturi in the back," Chelsea said, looking a little bored. "I believe a cake and a loaf of chive bread."

"Absolutely. I'll have that ready for you in just a moment," Bella walked through the door to the kitchen, glad to get away from the Socially Polite Chelsea and her ego centric brother. Shelley looked up from a bread pan she was scouring and smiled sweetly.

"What do you need, sweetie?"

"Chelsea is here for her mother's order. Just came back to get it for her."

The Hummingbird cake with cream cheese icing was already boxed up and ready to go, along with a large loaf of chive bread in a paper bag beside it on the stainless steel counter. Bella had never heard of hummingbird cake in her life, and watching Shelley make one special order was pretty amazing. It was a banana pineapple spice cake, flavored with vanilla and cinnamon and filled with toasted pecans and was apparently a 'Southern thing'. Bella couldn't wait to try her hand at baking one herself.

She carefully carried the cake box and bread bag out into the shop, setting them on the counter by the register. Chelsea was messing with her cell phone by one of the cases and Demetri was going for a casual look as he leaned against the counter where she left him.

"Can I get you anything else today?" Bella asked, ringing up their purchases.

"How about your number?" Demetri gave her what she thought was meant to be a sexy smirk, but it only made her want to roll her eyes. She shook her head, giving him a tight smile.

"Sorry, no can do. I don't give my number out to strangers. That'll be fourteen dollars even, please."

Demetri was still, a look of confusion on his face. Chelsea looked up at him, sighing impatiently as she pulled a credit card out of her purse, thrusting it at Bella. Bella had run the payment through and given Chelsea the slip to sign before he blinked again. He put on the charm once more.

"Well how about you join me for dinner tomorrow evening and we can work on this 'stranger' issue?" He smiled at her confidently. "I'm friends with the chef at a very expensive French restaurant in Knoxville and I can get us the best seat in the house."

"I'm flattered, but no thank you," Bella took the signed slip from Chelsea and stuck it under the cash drawer in the register.

The confusion came back to his face. "Oh, you're not a fan of French cuisine? How about Italian?"

Bella sighed and looked him in the eye. "I'm sorry Demetri, I'm not trying to play hard to get. I'm not interested. I already have a date with someone."

She noticed that Chelsea looked up from her phone at that comment, but didn't say a word. In fact, the pretty woman looked like she just sucked on a lemon. Demetri tried to act nonchalant as he reached for the cake box.

"Oh really? With whom?"

"With me."

Bella looked past Demetri and smiled widely at the sight of Edward looking very fine in cargo shorts and a white button down shirt. Edward caught her look of appreciation and gave her his sexy grin before turning his attention back to the Volturi's. Demetri's eyes immediately darkened.

"Cullen," he managed to say.

"Demetri." Edward deadpanned, walking towards them before moving around the counter to plant a kiss on Bella's cheek. "Hi honey. I know I'm early but I couldn't wait to see you."

Bella grinned, squeezing his arm. "I'm always happy to see you."

Demetri grabbed the bread bag, thrusting it at a sullen looking Chelsea. "It was nice to meet you, Bella. I look forward to seeing you around town."

Bella glanced over at the man before returning her attention to Edward. "Have a nice day. Thanks for stopping in."

Edward grinned at her response as the brother and sister stalked out of the bakery. Bella chuckled.

"Stellar timing, Cullen. I can't thank you enough for the interruption."

"Demetri was always pretty dense when it came to women. He doesn't quite understand the concept of 'not interested'."

Bella shuddered at the thought. "I wonder if that 'friends with the chef at the expensive restaurant' line works with the other ladies. Seems right up Lauren Mallory's alley."

Edward groaned. "Right up Lauren's alley is offering her a wine cooler before taking her behind the dumpsters for a quickie. Dinner at a fancy restaurant equals engagement and marriage to her."

Bella snorted, giving him a quick squeeze around the waist before pulling back. "So you want something to eat or drink? We've got a half hour before closing time."

"I wouldn't say no to a Moon Pie."

"Of course you wouldn't," she teased, nodding towards one of the tables. "I'll bring it to you. Would you like coffee or tea with that?"

"A bottle of water would be good," Edward tugged on one of her curls before heading towards a chair.

She grabbed his order and took it to him, taking a seat at the table across from him. "So what should I wear tonight?"

Edward smiled, taking a huge bite of his treat, holding up a finger while he chewed and swallowed. "Comfy casual. Some of the time we'll be outside, so dress for the weather."

The weather was currently about ninety degrees and sunny, so Bella figured shorts and a tank would be okay. "Where are we going?"

He smirked, opening his bottle of water and taking a long swallow. "That, Miss Swan, would be a surprise. You'll just have to work on your patience."

Bella sighed, rolling her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile. "So how was your day?"

"It was good. I washed the truck and made a few calls about the ground breaking on Monday. Everything's good to go."

Bella grinned at him, loving the look of excitement on his face. "I can't wait to see the library finished. I'm so proud of you."

Edward blushed at her praise, but looked pleased. "I'm a little nervous but confident everything will go well. Hopefully we won't have any major weather related delays."

"I'm sure it will all run smoothly with you in charge."

"Thank you." He held out the remainder of his Moon Pie and offered her a bite. She grinned, leaning forward in her chair to take a big chunk out of it. "So how was your day?"

Bella chewed and swallowed before responding. "Pretty great, actually. I learned how to make a Hummingbird cake watching Shelley. I'm going to try making it myself sometime next week. I've never had one before."

"Aunt Anna makes them on occasion, usually for Emmett's birthday, that's one of his favorites. They're pretty good."

"It smelled good. I never knew such a thing existed," she grinned. "It's fun learning the local cuisine."

Edward smiled back. "Well I'll be your willing guinea pig for any taste testing."

"I'll keep you in mind."

The kitchen door opened and Shelley walked out, removing her apron in the process. "Almost closing time, sweetie. Hello, Edward! I thought I heard you come in!"

Edward stood up immediately to meet her half way and give her a hug. "I had to rescue our fair Bella from the evil clutches of Demetri Volturi."

Shelley chuckled, patting his cheeks affectionately. "You two boys have never gotten along." She turned to Bella. "When this one here was ten, he got in trouble for fighting with Demetri over some toys. When he was in high school, they got into a fight over a girl and they both walked around with black eyes for two weeks! Neither one of them had any sense!"

"It wasn't just a 'toy', it was my Hot Wheels Treasure Hunt collection!" Edward argued playfully. "The jerk tried to say it was his. My fist told him otherwise."

Shelley clucked her tongue in displeasure and Bella laughed. "Not the Treasure Hunt collection!"

"No joke, that collection will fund my future kids' college fund someday," Edward grinned. "Play your cards right, Miss Swan, and you could end up a very wealthy woman."

Bella burst out laughing. "You're crazy, Cullen."

He shrugged. "All part of my charm."

Shelley shook her head, patting his arm before going to lock the door. "And now we're closed for the day you two. Edward will stay down here with me and help me pack the leftovers for the shelter while you run upstairs and get ready for your date, young lady."

"Yes, ma'am," Bella stood up, grabbing Edward's napkin and empty plate to drop off in the kitchen. "Give me about twenty minutes and I'll be back down."

"Take your time," Edward said, flipping the chairs to lay them on the tables. "Just know that for each minute after twenty you take, I will be tacking it onto the end of our date in triplicate."

She winked at him saucily. "So I'll see you in an hour then?"

He laughed. "My girl!"

*.*.*

Bella had never been on a date before, but from high school gossip and television shows, she'd been under the impression that dates were generally dinner and a movie type thing. She hadn't really been sure what to expect from Edward when it came to a first date, but part of her was hoping that it was nothing like what Demetri Volturi was trying to peddle to her. Considering the comfy casual attire that Edward had suggested, she could guess that she wasn't in for dinner in some stuffy, expensive restaurant and she was grateful for that. She thought something outdoorsy, maybe hiking in the mountains but their destination was better than she ever expected and funny enough, it was so Edward.

Edward had taken her to Pigeon Forge. To a Family Fun Center with an arcade, go kart track and bungee jumping. It was perfect.

Bella's heart melted at Edward's nervous expression when she realized where he had taken her, but she quickly put a smile on his face when she squealed in excitement and threw her arms around him.

"Oh my God, this has to be the coolest first date ever!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands in glee.

He made an exaggerated sigh of relief and mimed wiping sweat off of his forehead. Bella laughed as he opened the door of the truck for her and hopped down to the ground before bouncing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

"I was worried for a second that you might think this was lame," he admitted, taking her hand and squeezing it.

"Are you kidding?" Bella grinned. "This is awesome! I was worried that you would take me to a stuffy restaurant where I would have to remember which fork to use. This just proves your brilliance, Cullen."

In her excitement, she gripped his hand tighter and ran towards the entrance pulling him along. They walked into a huge building with arcade rooms on both sides, a counter to buy passes for the rides and play cards for the games, a huge section with prizes and a few small snack bars.

"What's your favorite kind of game?" Bella asked as Edward led them to buy their play cards.

"I like the driving simulators," he said easily, pulling out his wallet. "And I'm not too bad at the basketball games. Emmett and I get pretty competitive when we play those. What about you?"

"I like Skee-Ball and the claw machines," she admitted, looking around the crowded room. "But I kick ass at the shooting games."

"Ah yes, Sharpshooter Bella," he grinned at her, handing her a play card and a pass. "Is it bad that I'm thinking about how sexy you'd look shooting the shit out of ducks on a screen?"

Bella chuckled. "Just as bad as me looking forward to watching you straddle a motorcycle simulator, I suppose."

Edward's smile widened at her comment. "My girl."

They spent about an hour going from game to game, trying out the different types. Bella slayed him at the different shooting games but he beat her at the Whack-A-Mole. She lost to him miserably at the basketball games and he had to make a trip out to the truck to store her claw machine winnings behind the seats so they wouldn't have to carry them.

Bella had a blast on the go-karts, shrieking and laughing as she tried to pass him on the tracks, but he managed to win by a kart length each time. They both got soaked on the bumper boats, she beat him at mini golf, and they let themselves be harnessed in side by side on the Skyflyer. He laughed and she screamed as they dropped towards the ground and then soared up like a plane taking flight. Edward proudly paid for two copies of their Skyflyer picture, looking forward to posting it on Bella's Facebook page before hanging it up in his office.

It was almost eight thirty when they took their final bungee jump each before heading off for dinner. They spent the next hour laughing over messy plates of ribs and burnt ends, playfully swiping at each other's saucy faces with wet naps. She ate everything on her plate and debated the merits of unbuttoning her shorts and taking a food coma nap in the booth.

Bella watched Edward across the table as he carefully wiped off the sauce from his hands. She had just had one of the best days of her life and she didn't want to see it end yet. She debated the idea of inviting him up to her apartment when they got back, not ready to sleep with him yet, but wondering if he would be up for _sleep_ sleeping beside her in the same bed.

"You okay, honey?"

Bella blinked, catching his look of concern and grinned at him. "I think I'm in a food coma. I can barely function."

He chuckled. "You did tackle that plate of burnt ends like a pro. You did good, Miss Swan."

"Why thank you, Cullen,"

They drove back to Chapel Crossing in comfortable silence, their hands clasped on the seat between them and the classic rock station playing softly on the radio. Bella sighed in contentment, smiling to herself as she remembered certain parts of their date.

"This was the best date I could ever imagine," she said quietly, squeezing his hand. "Thank you for asking me."

Edward squeezed back. "Thank you for saying 'yes'. I had a great time with you."

She was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Would it be too forward of me to ask you to stay the night with me?" Silence met her and she rushed forward to explain. "Not for _that_ , of course, but maybe we could watch a movie or something on TV and sleep? You know, in the same bed…or I could sleep on the sofa…or whatever…" Bella drifted into silence, feeling her face heat up. _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._

She almost choked on her tongue when Edward brought her hand to his lips. "Are you asking me to a sleepover, Miss Swan?"

Bella cleared her throat. "Maybe," she whispered.

Edward's eyes met hers for a split second before returning to the road, his smile widening. "I would be honored to spend the night watching movies and sleeping, Bella. But over my dead body will you sleep on a sofa when there's a bed available. If you're sure, we can both sleep in the bed."

Bella let out a huge sigh of relief, not feeling like such an idiot at her rambling. "I'm sure. I think you'd have fantastic human pillow potential."

"Do tell, what are these qualities?"

Bella leaned her head back, listing them off on her fingers. "Well number one, you're like a personal space heater. You give off great body heat."

"I can see that."

"Number two, you smell fantastic. Really quite comforting. So you're like an aromatherapy candle, in a way."

"Makes sense."

She chuckled. "And third, the space between your arms and your chest is really cozy. Seriously, who needs a fluffy pillow when you have well muscled arms around you and a solid chest to lay your head on? And that heartbeat? Gah, so relaxing!"

"Sounds like I should be charging for these human pillow services," he teased. She smiled to herself when she heard the amusement and affection in his voice. "But for you, it's free of charge."

"I appreciate that."

They made a pit stop at the Cullen's house so Edward could grab something to sleep in and clothes for the next day. Bella sat in the kitchen sipping tea with Esme and blushing at the wide grin on the other woman's face. That grin had appeared the moment she found out that Edward was staying the night at Bella's and Bella felt somehow inappropriate, like she was going to do naughty things to corrupt Esme's son.

"We're just going to watch movies and sleep, I swear," Bella had spluttered and Esme just chuckled, patting her hand.

"Bella, sweetie, you're both two consenting adults. You don't have to explain anything to me or Carlisle."

Bella's blush grew even hotter. "I just don't want you to think that anything is going to happen. Except for watching movies. And sleeping. That's it."

Esme's eyes twinkled as she sipped her tea. "I believe you, dear."

"Okay then," Bella turned her attention to her cup. "So I was thinking of bringing bread pudding to dinner tomorrow."

"That sounds delicious. I can't wait to try it."

Yeah, that was amusement in Esme's voice.

Where the hell was Edward?

She was about to ask if anybody was allergic to raisins when the man in question finally appeared with a small duffel bag in hand. Bella jumped to her feet, kissing Esme's cheek quickly and thanking her for the tea before booking it to the door. She swore she heard quiet chuckles behind her.

Edward appeared from the kitchen a minute later, his eyes twinkling in amusement as he opened the door for Bella. "You ready?"

"Yes, please."

She was quiet on the drive back to the bakery and by the time they made it into her apartment, she was feeling pretty silly.

"So Esme must think I'm a nut," she sighed, meeting his amused grin. He burst out laughing, pulling her into a hug.

"Not a nut, just shy about certain things." Edward kissed her forehead. "And even if you were a nut, she'd still love you."

"Ass," Bella muttered, swatting his arm. He just laughed. "There are times my inexperience makes me feel like a dumb child."

"There's no reason to feel like that," he assured her, leading her towards the sofa. He sat down, pulling her into his lap. "Nobody expects you act any certain way. And your inexperience doesn't make you dumb, honey. You weren't born knowing what to feel in different scenarios. We all learned at some point."

Bella sighed, laying her head against his chest. "I just don't want everybody to see me as some silly teenager. I don't like feeling younger than everybody else."

She felt his lips against her hair and breathed him in. "You are younger than all of us, but there's nothing wrong with that. And so what if you haven't experienced everything we have? You can experience those things with us in your own time."

They were silent for a moment before Bella bit her lip and looked up at him. "Today was my first date."

Edward smiled softly, running his fingers through her hair. "I thought it might be. Was your first date everything you thought it would be?"

"So much better than I ever expected, actually," she admitted. "I always heard from classmates that their first dates were for pizza and a movie and while that's fine, I had so much more fun with what we did today. I wasn't nervous, I had so much fun. It was perfect."

"I'm glad. I thought it was perfect, too." His lips moved down to her cheek, down her jaw and to her mouth. Bella moaned in pleasure, just letting herself drown in his kiss. She clutched his shirt in her fists, savoring the feel of his tongue sliding against hers, the gentle nips of his teeth against her bottom lip and the tingling pressure of his fingers against her scalp and spine. A few more gentle nips and Edward pulled back, moving his hand up her arm to cup her cheek.

"As much as I love kissing you, Sweet Girl, we'd better stop. Neither one of us is ready for anything more yet and it would be too easy to just give in."

Bella nodded in agreement and slowly stood up. He was right, she could easily see herself getting caught up in the intensity and just letting go.

"So I'm going to change into my pajamas," she decided. "Would you mind rolling the TV stand closer to the bed so we can see it?

"Whatever the lady wants," he stood up, dropping one more kiss on her lips before turning her towards the bed. "Go get ready. I'll change when you're done."

Bella quickly dug through her armoire, pulling out a pair of purple pajama bottoms and a matching camisole top. She changed in the bathroom and when she emerged, Edward had the TV moved and the bedcovers turned down. He went into the bathroom to change and she dug through a box of DVD's that Rosalie had given her. When Edward appeared, she held two up. "The Usual Suspects or From Dusk Till Dawn?"

Edward nodded approvingly at her choices. "Gotta go with Tarantino, honey."

She agreed. Who in their right mind would turn down Salma Hayek dancing?

Bella quickly put in the movie, turning off all the lights before climbing into the bed beside Edward. He immediately reached out to pull her against him and she sighed in pleasure as she rested her head against his chest.

It was the perfect ending to her first date.

*.*.*

 **A/N: What did you do on your first date?**


	13. Chapter 13

_**Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.**_

 _ **This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.**_

CHAPTER TWELVE

Bella couldn't help but smile in pride as she frosted the last cupcake on the counter in front of her.

The past week at Sweet Bites had been incredible. After seeing how hard Shelley worked every morning making so many different things, she sat down with the older woman and suggested a special day for certain items. While the most popular items- white and wheat bread, bagels, doughnuts, cookies, chocolate and vanilla cupcakes and Moon Pies- would remain a daily thing, other items would be switched to a "Daily Special" type offering. Whole cakes and specialty items would still be special order, and Bella could introduce new items as daily specials to see how the customers took to them. Jams and apple butter were canned weekly now, new batches only made if they were going to run out early. So far, it was working out splendidly.

Today's 'Daily Specials' were Hummingbird cupcakes, chocolate filled croissants, and cranberry orange scones. Bella had enjoyed making the Hummingbird cake and Shelley loved the idea of serving it as a cupcake once or twice a week. And needless to say, the bakery owner absolutely loved the idea of Bella making chocolate filled croissants whenever she wanted to.

Bella threw the empty piping bag away and washed her hands quickly before carrying the tray of cupcakes out to the case. Shelley was already there, filling the baskets on the counter with fresh bread and bagels.

"Those look wonderful, dear," Shelley praised, watching as Bella put the tray in its place between the chocolate and vanilla cupcakes. "I like how you decorated the tops with the banana chip and candied pecan."

Bella blushed at the praise. "I had so much fun making them. Thank you for teaching me how."

They worked quickly together, making sure everything was in its place and the coffee was brewing before Shelley unlocked the door and turned the "Open" sign around in the window.

It was what was becoming a typical weekday at the bakery for Bella. Rosalie came in first go pick up scones, croissants and coffee to take to Carlisle's office. The business owners on Main Street came in for their breakfasts before opening their shops. Demetri came in each morning for the first few days after Bella met him, but after getting continually turned down, his secretary, Gianna, started coming in for his morning coffee and bagel.

At ten, Edward walked in with a grin on his face and his hand behind his back. Bella watched him with a smile on her own face until he stopped in front of her, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek before presenting her with a beautiful sunflower.

"Good morning, My Girl," he said sweetly as Bella's eyes lit up at her gift.

"Good morning, babe," she said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him chastely on the lips. "Thank you so much! It's beautiful!"

Ever since the Monday after their first date, Edward would come into the bakery each day, usually late morning, with a flower for her. Her vase in her apartment held his gifts from his prior visits; a purple Delphinium, a red Carnation, a white Calla Lily, and a red Amaryllis. Bella planned to keep them in the vase until they started to wilt, and then dry them so she could keep them forever. She wanted to be looking at those flowers when she was old and gray and remember how he would come in with a smile and present her with one.

For now, Bella placed it in an empty soda bottle filled with water that Shelley had left on the counter for her daily flower.

"Moon Pie?" Bella asked, finally turning away from the sunflower to smile at the handsome man in front of her.

"Surprisingly, not today," he grinned as he perused the cases. "I heard from some very pleased customers of yours that you have some fabulous scones today. Could I get two and a coffee to go, please?"

"Absolutely," Bella was flushed with pride at his words. "Are they really talking about them?"

Edward's own eyes were filled with pride as he watched her wrap his two pastries in wax paper before slipping them in the white bakery bag. "I've heard from no less than six people about them already. And something about orange butter to go with them?"

Bella chuckled, adding a little plastic ramekin of the butter she had whipped that morning with orange extract and orange peel, along with a plastic knife. "Just something I thought of last night when I was planning today's specials. I'm glad they seem to like it."

"I think 'like' is not a strong enough word for it," Edward teased, doctoring his coffee with cream and sugar as Bella set the bag in front of him on the counter. She didn't even bother ringing him up; Shelley Cope would never hear of charging one of the Cullen clan. "We still up for this afternoon?"

With Bella's culinary courses in Knoxville coming up, she was determined to get behind the wheel and start driving again without panicking. Edward and his family had offered their assistance and Edward was taking her to an abandoned dirt track nearby later that afternoon so she could start practicing again.

Bella nodded at his question. "I can't thank you enough for helping me. I need to get over this silly phobia before my classes."

Edward's hand covered hers immediately. "It's not a 'silly phobia' Sweet Girl. You have every right to feel what you do and I'll do anything to help you get past it."

Bella turned her hand over so she could squeeze his. "Still. I can't thank you enough."

He grinned, leaning forward to kiss her quickly before snatching up his bag. "I think these scones will more than pay for it, then. I have a feeling I may be asking you to bake them for me on your off time."

"Whatever you want me to bake for you, just let me know," she offered, smiling widely. Paying Edward Cullen back for his kindness in baked goods was a fabulous plan, in her opinion.

Edward's grin turned mischievous. "You may regret that offer, Miss Swan."

Bella just rolled her eyes playfully at him as the door opened and a small group of teenagers walked in. "I'll see you later."

"Count on it," he waved before walking out, leaving her to wait on her customers.

Bella's routine continued like any other work day. She manned the register and waited on guests until noon, when Shelley was finished in the kitchen with the special orders. After that, they switched, and Shelley worked up front while Bella prepped for her specials for the next day. She made graham cracker crust and prepared the filling for the little individual strawberry cheesecake tarts she was serving tomorrow, along with pie crust for the apple cinnamon pecan turnovers and cut up the mango and raspberries for her cupcakes. She also mixed up the dough for the bread, cake doughnuts and bagels, letting them go through their first rise while she washed up the dishes.

By two, she was kneading the risen dough and getting the bread loaves set up in pans to go in the cooler. The bagel dough, she shaped and set out on cookie sheets, brushing with oil before storing in the cooler to slow rise overnight. She piped the doughnut batter into rings on large cookie sheets and covered with wrap before storing those as well.

Taking inventory, she saw that Shelley had prepared the cookie dough and cupcake batter for the following day as well. In the back of the cooler, about three dozen Moon Pies were setting on racks, ready to serve the following day.

Bella was extremely proud of all they accomplished each day. She knew each morning was a lot easier on Shelley with all the prep work she could do the day before, and all they had to do when they came in was bake, boil, fry and frost. The only things they had to mix up in the mornings were the icings, which never took long anyway. It was a good system they had and Bella loved every second of it.

When everything was prepped and all the dishes were done, Bella walked through the door to find Shelley leaning against the counter, nibbling on a croissant with a cup of coffee in front of her. Bella grinned.

"Gotcha!" She teased and Shelley just chuckled.

"I refuse to feel bad about this," the older woman joked, holding up her croissant. "If Carlisle wouldn't lecture me about sugar consumption, I would live off of these."

Bella shook her head in amusement as she started removing empty trays from the cases. She was pleased to see that her Hummingbird cupcakes and scones had sold out and there were only two chocolate filled croissants left. Looked like they were a hit.

"Although I agree that too much sugar isn't good, don't let Carlisle forget of his own sweet tooth. The night I made these for you the first time, he ate about four by himself until Esme kicked him out of the kitchen."

"Oh, I know of Carlisle Cullen's sweet tooth," Shelley smiled fondly. "When he was a teenager and I had just opened the shop, he would come in all the time for my 7-Up cake and Mock Apple Pie squares. He still comes in every now and then to beg me to make him some."

Bella had heard of 7-Up Cake- it was one of her father's favorites as a child- but the other…"What on earth is Mock Apple Pie?"

"It's made with Ritz crackers instead of apples. You can't even tell that there isn't a speck of apple in it."

Bella shook her head in amazement as she stacked empty trays on the back counter. "I can't even imagine that. Do you still have the recipe?"

Shelley tapped her index finger against her head. "Right up here, sweetie. I'll write it down for you, though, and then Carlisle can start hounding you to make it."

Bella chuckled, kissing the woman on the cheek as she passed. "I'd be grateful for it. I'll make it to take to dinner on Sunday."

She carried the empty trays to the kitchen to soak them in the sink and then helped Shelley box up the leftovers to take to the shelter after locking the door and turning the sign to "Closed". "I never thought to ask, but do you drive these to Sevierville yourself or does someone pick them up for you?" As noble a gesture the donations were, it seemed to be quite a drive for Shelley to do every day.

"Oh no, dear, I drop these off at the Baptist church near my house and Pastor McMahon and his wife take it for me. They help out at the missions during the week and on Saturdays and know where it's most needed."

Bella carried the box out to Shelley's car in the back lot and hugged her goodbye before heading back into the bakery to finish washing the last couple trays. When everything was washed and shut off, she locked up the bakery, grabbed her sunflower and headed upstairs to her apartment.

She checked on the barbecued pulled pork she had in her slow cooker on the counter, turning it to "Keep Warm" before rushing off to take a shower. Ten minutes later, she was back in her kitchen, dressed in a comfortable pale yellow tank and jean shorts, pulling her damp hair back in a ponytail. She added a little more barbecue sauce to the meat in the crock pot before mixing up a batch of jalapeno corn bread. If Edward was going to take time out of his day to help her with her driving phobia, she was going to make sure he got a full stomach out of the deal.

Corn bread in the oven, she checked the coleslaw in the refrigerator that she made the night before, sampling it before adding a few more dashes of hot sauce. She called it perfect and covered it back up, double checking that she had both lemonade and sweet tea when she put it back in the fridge.

Bella always knew that she had enjoyed cooking, enjoyed trying new things, but since coming to Chapel Crossing, she had discovered that not much made her happier than cooking for the people she loved. She loved making new dishes and baked goods, couldn't wait to see the look on the faces of whoever tasted them. She would always remember the look on Carlisle's face when he first tasted the chocolate filled croissants and the look on Emmett's face when he first tried her toasted ravioli. Eyes rolled back in the head, loud groans of appreciation, every sigh of pleasure from her cooking left her feeling about ten feet tall and bulletproof. And when Edward had sampled the first bite of her lemon basil frozen custard…well the look on his face and the sounds he made from that first taste fueled quite a few steamy dreams for Bella that night.

She found she kept looking for different things to make, something new to pull out a new reaction from somebody. That was another reason she loved working at Sweet Bites. The first day that week when she served a "Daily Special" item, Jackson McCarty had come in to buy half a dozen chocolate cupcakes but saw her Salted Caramel cupcakes and bought those instead. He proceeded to eat three of the six right there in the bakery in a haze of sheer bliss before realizing what he was doing. Bella only laughed when he just grinned and bought three more, swearing her to secrecy that Anna would never find out about his splurge.

She was extremely blessed that Shelley was so open to the new things Bella was trying out. Most bakers would likely be stuck on what they had been making for years, but she was the opposite. Shelley loved to watch Bella create new treats, loved to sample each new creation and was not shy about throwing in ideas to add to the recipe. It had been Shelley's idea to add basil to her frozen custard; an addition that Bella thought made all the difference in the flavor.

Bella was just taking the cornbread out of the oven when there was a knock on her door. Smiling, she stood up straight, setting the hot pan on top of the stove before answering it. Edward stood on the other side, a smile on his face and a single stem with three pink sweet pea blossoms in his hand. Warmth spread through her at the sight.

"It's beautiful, thank you!" she threw her arms around him, careful not to crush the lovely flower. He hugged her back tightly before releasing her reluctantly.

"You're very welcome, Sweet Girl." He stepped into the apartment when Bella waved him in, breathing in deeply. "It smells fantastic in here."

Bella closed the door and turned to face him. "I didn't know if you wanted to eat before we go or after. I've got pulled pork, jalapeno cornbread and coleslaw."

He groaned in pleasure at her words. "You have got to be the perfect woman, I swear. Sent down from Heaven just for me."

Bella smiled bashfully, sniffing her flower before adding it to the vase with her collection. "I don't know about 'perfect', but thank you."

Edward just smiled at her. "I could eat before we go. I was so busy today that the only thing I had was your amazing scones, which I seriously hope you will be making again soon. I'm starving."

"I'll make them whenever you want," she offered, moving around the table to get plates and glasses from the cupboard. He joined her, grabbing the silverware and helping her set the little kitchen table. She plated up the food while Edward poured their drinks- sweet tea for Bella and half tea half lemonade for him.

Bella bit her lip and hid her grin when he moaned at his first bite. Now _that_ was perfect.

*.*.*

The abandoned track was a simple dirt lap with overgrown weeds and dilapidated metal bleachers on two sides in the middle of nowhere. Bella looked around, trying to imagine it full of people and cars.

"Was this ever a big thing here?"

Edward parked his truck and looked around, shrugging. "Not really. Sometimes high school kids would come out here and race on weekends. Someone built it thinking it would grow into something like Bristol Speedway, but it didn't get much attention."

"Jake and Sam would have loved this growing up," Bella thought of her best friend and how he loved to race down the dirt roads on the reservation growing up. An actual track would have been right up his alley.

"Maybe they can come and visit and we can race out here. I know Alice would love to show off how fast she can get that Porsche of hers."

Bella chuckled, clasping her hands in her lap. Her nerves were picking up a bit at the thought of driving. If she really thought about it, she was mostly afraid of panicking. The thought of getting behind the wheel and seeing inky black night and rushing water again filled her with dread.

She had discussed her panic attack with both Edward and Carlisle and they suggested she try driving Edward's truck. Carlisle figured maybe it would be easier for her; being higher up off the ground than in her Volvo might make her feel more secure. Plus, she had driven a truck a lot longer than she had driven a car, maybe the familiarity would ease her nerves. If she found the truck more to her liking, she could always buy one instead of another Volvo.

"You ready to give it a try?" Edward asked softly, gauging her reaction. Bella swallowed hard and nodded.

"Would you sit in the passenger side when I do?"

"Whatever you need."

Bella smiled to herself at his simple comment. She didn't expect anything different from Edward. He was as perfect as a human could get.

With a deep breath, they got out of the truck, switching places. Bella adjusted the seat and steering wheel before buckling herself in. She gripped the wheel tightly, staring out the windshield. She was relieved to see dirt track and rusty bleachers before her, but snippets of her accident and the flooding river were not far behind.

"You're safe, Bella," Edward murmured beside her, his voice a soothing balm on her nerves. "I'm right here beside you. You're not alone."

"I'm safe," Bella whispered, forcing herself to focus on what really was outside the truck and not what was etched in her memories. "I'm safe and there's no flood. No tree in the road. No storm."

She breathed in deeply through her nose, exhaling through her mouth. The sharp, tingling anxiety that had been flowing through her blood began to lessen and she could feel her heartbeat slowing down. With one last cleansing breath, she reached out to turn the key in the ignition, listening to the engine come to life.

 _"You've got this, Bells. Just keep your eyes on the road."_

Bella gasped when she heard her father's voice, clear as day. She remembered his words instantly, from when he was teaching her to drive.

Edward started at her gasp, reaching out to touch her hand. "Are you okay, Sweet Girl?"

Bella nodded, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'm okay. Just remembering something my Dad told me."

He stared into her eyes for a long moment before he returned her smile. Sitting back, he let her focus on the task at hand.

Bella listened to the engine, closing her eyes, getting used to the sensation of being behind the wheel again.

 _"Don't forget to adjust those mirrors, young lady."_

 _Yes, Daddy_ , she thought, opening her eyes to do just that.

One more deep breath and she put her foot down on the break before shifting the truck into 'Drive'. Starting off slowly, she drove around the track, getting used to the feeling again. With each lap, she felt her confidence grow and she couldn't help but glance over at Edward. His smile was huge and the pride in his eyes was easy to see.

"That's my girl," he praised, leaning back comfortably with his legs stretched out. "I knew you'd be a truck kinda gal."

Bella laughed. "I have to agree with you on that."

She drove a few dozen laps before pulling the truck out on the road and heading back to Chapel Crossing.

"So… truck shopping on Saturday?"

"Sounds like a plan."

They drove in peaceful silence until they reached the outskirts of town and Edward sat up slightly. "Would you like to see the land I'm going to build my house on?"

"Yes," her answer was instantaneous. Hell yeah she wanted to see where he planned to build. Where he planned to live for possibly the rest of his life. Where she hoped to be spending a lot of time at herself, beside him.

She drove through town towards the north end, turning right on a side road just outside town limits. The road was a narrow two lane that was a series of curves going up. Bella could feel the truck climbing as they continued, surrounded by trees and wild grasses. "Boy, you're going to need a lot of salt and sand for this road come winter if it snows."

"I had to get a snow plow package a few years back for the truck," he admitted. "We had a pretty big snowstorm and I ended up plowing a bunch of people out of their driveways. Emmett and I were the only ones in town who could get out on the roads, so we spent a few days plowing all the streets in town and laying down salt."

"The county doesn't have snow plows?"

Edward shrugged. "We don't get the heavy winter weather like they do further north, so it's not really budgeted like it would be for New York or Chicago. I remember being in Chicago and it snowed for days and the plows were everywhere. And then you come further south, and it's not the same. You remember when all those people were stuck on the Interstate in Atlanta a few years back because of a little snow and ice?"

Bella remembered that, thinking how crazy it seemed that the same amount of snow and ice that she'd driven in herself had brought a major city to a standstill. She never thought of how much she had depended on the city and county's preparedness.

"I guess I took all that for granted," she admitted, following a right hand curve in the road. "At least if it snows here, my commute to work is pretty easy to manage."

Edward laughed. "You really can't beat your commute. There's no calling Shelley to tell her your car broke down."

Bella laughed along with him, until the road came to an end and she lost all ability to speak.

"Welcome to my bluff, Miss Swan."

Where the road ended, a huge meadow began. The plot was round, surrounded by trees on two sides. Straight ahead, she could see where the land ended and there was nothing beyond it but sky and mountains in the distance.

"This is all yours?" Bella was stunned. He wasn't joking when he said the views were amazing. Edward nodded, looking out the windshield proudly.

"All mine. I'm going to grow old on this plot of land, sitting in a rocking chair on my porch looking at that view until the day I die."

Bella immediately turned off the engine and unbuckled her seatbelt, feeling a sudden urge to get out of the truck and explore this beautiful property. Edward followed her lead and he stood in front of the truck while she walked around, taking it all in.

The trees surrounding the land were huge; cedars, maples and hackberries reaching up to the heavens. Wildflowers of every color were scattered among the grass, leading up to where the ground disappeared and the sky began. She walked silently to the cliff, looking down over the rooftops of Chapel Crossing, the river in the distance and the mountains even further, as far as the eye could see.

"Wow," she breathed, taking it all in. Edward had definitely found the prettiest piece of land imaginable. It was the easiest thing in the world to imagine appreciating this view for the next fifty years.

"Do you like it?"

Bella was so taken by the sight that she didn't even startle when Edward's arms wrapped around her waist. She just leaned back, her head finding its place beneath his chin. "I love it, Edward! It's absolutely gorgeous up here. You're never going to want to leave your house!" She paused. "How close to the edge are you planning on building?"

"The house will actually be closer to where the road ended. I don't want it so close that it will be in danger if there's a rockslide," he murmured, his lips moving over the top of her head. "Where the road ends, the driveway will begin. A circle driveway to fit everybody's cars when they come up. I'd love to build a gazebo a few feet back from here, though. Something simple with a two person swing, looking out."

"You could build a greenhouse out here," Bella suggested. "Grow your own food. Plant flowers on your green roof. I can almost see it in my head."

His arms tightened around her and Bella breathed him in, savoring the warm, woodsy scent that made her feel safe and secure. "That's what I'm hoping to do. I want to be completely self sustained up here. Solar panels for energy, rainwater collection and filtration systems, gardens for food. I can't grow everything up here, but a lot of it can be done myself." He paused, gathering more excitement from his plans. "I've decided on sand and concrete bricks for the walls and bamboo for the floors. It will retain heat in the winter and keep it cool in the summer. The entire back wall facing the cliff will be glass sliding doors. We'll be able to see these views standing in the kitchen making dinner if we want."

Bella's heartbeat sped up at his sudden use of 'we'. She wanted nothing more than to share this with him, to stand in his kitchen making a meal to share with him while they look out at the mountains and sky. She wanted to lay in bed with him, wrapped in his arms with the early morning sunlight filling the room with warmth.

"It sounds absolutely perfect," she whispered.

*.*.*

 **A/N: What would be your dream house?**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.**_

 _ **This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.**_

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Bella felt a bit like she was cheating on her old, dependable Beast, but as she held the keys to her brand new 2015 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 Crew Cab in candy apple red, she found she couldn't bring herself to care.

Shelley had been fantastic about letting Bella leave early on Saturday so she could pick out a new vehicle with Edward. Bella had felt guilty asking for a few hours off so soon into her job, but Shelley had argued that Bella had done so much prep that morning that she could just sit back and wait for the customers to come to her.

Bella had spent about thirty minutes walking around the lot, checking out each truck that caught her eye. When she saw the Colorado, though, she was reminded a little bit of the Beast back in Jacob's care and fell in love. Edward had watched her climb behind the wheel, his expression a mixture of playfulness and lust as she buckled herself in and looked at him through the open window.

"What do you think, Cullen?"

"I think we're in the Bible belt, Miss Swan, and my thoughts could be classified as most sinful in these parts," he drawled, deepening his sexy accent for effect. It worked, and Bella shivered as pleasant tingles shot down her spine.

"Why Edward Cullen, I'm shocked! I'm a lady!" Bella teased, holding her nose up in mock disgust.

Edward just chuckled. "You want to set up a test drive?"

Bella immediately agreed and jumped out of the truck, bouncing on her toes in excitement. They found a salesman pretty easily and twenty minutes later, she was driving the truck down the highway with Edward in the passenger seat.

"How does it feel?" Edward asked, watching her drive with pride in his eyes.

"Amazing," Bella smiled brightly, loving the feel of the interior and how smoothly the vehicle drove. It was a bit smaller than Edward's truck, and as comfortable as she was driving his, this was more to her liking. "I love it. I want to sign the papers right now!"

Edward chuckled at her excitement and sat back, enjoying the ride. They drove around town for about an hour before heading back to the dealership, where Bella wasted no time in filling out paperwork. The salesman began talking about financing, and Bella held out her hand.

"I'm paying for it in full," she said and the salesman's eyes lit up as she contacted her bank and her insurance company to add the truck to her policy. Edward just sat back in his chair, watching her in amusement.

Finally, an hour later, Bella stood beside her new truck proudly, clutching the keys in her hand. "Where to now, Cullen?"

Edward leaned against the bed of the truck, a smirk on his lips. "Well I have something for you, a bit of a celebration gift, if you will." At her confused expression, he pulled out his wallet, removing a card and handing it to her. She took it, laughing in joy when she realized what it was.

"You got me a season pass to Dollywood?"

"And Splash Country! We all have one and it's time you had one as well." Edward grinned. "Alice, Jasper, Rose and Em are on standby if you're up for a Cullen/Swan/McCarty/Whitlock Family Fun Weekend."

Bella's smile was so wide it was starting to hurt her face. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. "Thank you! This is awesome." She pulled back quickly, quirking her eyebrow. "Whose truck are we taking?"

"Silly question, Miss Swan," he teased, his arms still wrapped lazily around her waist. "I'll follow you back and park behind the bakery. You're my chauffeur this weekend."

Bella gave a loud, exaggerated, dreamy sigh. "You're the most perfect, smartest man I've ever met, Edward Cullen."

"My Mama taught me well," he joked, leaning down to kiss her softly on the lips. "I'll follow you back. I can call everybody while you pack an overnight bag and we can get on the road."

"Where are we staying?"

"My parents and Emmett's parents went in together and bought a cabin in Pigeon Forge when I was a kid. Even though we live pretty close anyway, it's nice to actually stay in town when we're there for longer than a day." He leaned back slightly, tucking a lock hair behind her ear. "You ready?"

"Absolutely." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him again before pulling away and opening the door to her truck.

Edward waited until she was buckled in before jogging to his truck and climbing in. Bella adjusted the seat and mirrors before turning the key in the ignition and slowly pulling out, waiting for Edward to get behind her.

On the drive back, Bella couldn't hold back the giddiness she was feeling. She squealed in excitement, laughing at herself for her silliness. It felt good to be driving again and she absolutely loved her new truck. She had a weekend of theme park fun to look forward to with her friends and a perfect, sexy, amazing man who treated her like a princess and made her feel like she was someone incredibly special. She had a job she loved, an amazing boss/landlady/friend in Shelley Cope, an apartment that felt more and more like home to her with each passing day, and soon, she would be attending culinary courses at college.

Just a few months earlier, Bella would never have even dreamed of such happiness. Her only friends had been Jacob and Sam; she didn't have her own home or even her freedom. She felt incredibly blessed and so very content. Her heart felt light and she swore she could feel her father nearby.

"Thank you, Daddy. For everything."

" _Always Bells."_

Bella smiled as she heard her father's voice clear as day.She took a deep breath and released it slowly, focusing on the road. Whenever she looked in the rearview mirror, she could see Edward's truck right behind her and she grinned each time she saw the contented smile on his face. She knew that she had a hand in putting that smile on his face and it made her crazy giddy at the thought.

In no time, she was pulling into an empty space behind the bakery. Before she could turn off the engine and unbuckle her seatbelt, Edward's truck was parked beside her and he was out and opening the door for her.

"Would I lose my man card if I admitted how much I missed you?" He asked, grinning as he helped her out of the truck. She chuckled, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

"I promise I won't rat you out to the guys," she teased.

They headed up to her apartment and Bella packed an overnight bag while Edward called the others. Fifteen minutes later, they were back in Bella's truck.

"Do we need to stop at your place for some clothes?" Bella asked.

"I have some things at the cabin, no need to pack." Edward smiled from the passenger seat, his long legs stretched out comfortably. "I'm in your capable hands for the rest of the weekend."

They joked and listened to the classic rock station as Bella drove towards Pigeon Forge. She followed his directions to the cabin and her eyes almost bugged out of her head when she saw the gorgeous, massive three story cabin surrounded by forest and mountains.

"Good God," she murmured, peering out the windshield. "I didn't know your family had their own hotel."

Edward chuckled as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "With our entire family, we'd need a hotel to accommodate all of us."

She was still staring out the windshield at the cabin when he opened her door for her. With her bag in one hand, he reached for her hand with the other, helping her out and leading her towards the steps to the huge, wide front porch and double doors.

Bella stared in wide eyed admiration when she walked into the huge two storied great room. The walls and floors were matching, gleaming hardwoods, the colors broken up by richly upholstered furniture and homey, handmade rag rugs. A massive dining room table with bench seating took up a quarter of the room, dividing the living area and the grand, gourmet kitchen. The two story river rock fireplace took her breath away.

"This is amazing," Bella breathed, taking it all in. "How do you manage to leave this place?"

Edward smiled. "It makes it a little easier with it being so close to home. Doesn't take long to get here when I need some time away."

She took in everything as Edward led her up the stairs, pointing out four master suites on the second floor. Each one was roughly the same size, with matching King sized beds and beautiful walnut furniture, the only difference being the colors of the walls and bedspreads. Edward stopped at the last door on the left and Bella looked inside to see walls painted a soothing lavender and a hand stitched quilt with lavender and pale green stitching spread over the bed. Gauzy white curtains hung over the windows on one wall and the back wall showcased lovely French doors leading to the balcony. Besides the bed was a cream colored chaise lounge, a large walnut chest of drawers and a matching armoire and nightstands. Opposite the French doors was another door to the en suite bathroom, where the color scheme continued on. Bella eyeballed the antique claw foot tub with pleasure, imagining sinking down into a sea of sweet smelling bubbles. Besides the tub, sink and toilet was a good sized walk in shower. Even the towels stacked on the shelf matched the greens and purples of the bedspread.

Bella turned to Edward, grinning. "I can imagine how much fun Esme and Alice had decorating this place. It's gorgeous."

"They'll be thrilled that you think so," he said, setting her bag down on the foot of the bed. "So you're okay with staying in this room?"

"Absolutely," she looked around the room, feeling her cheeks warm slightly. "Will you stay in here too?"

Edward sat down on the bed beside her bag, giving her the sweetest look. "That's up to you, Sweet Girl. If you're comfortable with it, I'd be honored to share the room with you, but if not, I can sleep across the hall."

Bella met his gaze and bit her lip. "I like sharing a bed with you."

He smiled softly, holding out his hand to her and she immediately stepped forward to take it. She followed his lead as he pulled her between his legs, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning his head against her belly. They stayed in that position silently, his hands moving slowly up and down her lower back while her fingers played in his messy hair. Bella could have stayed like that for the rest of the weekend.

A loud crashing sound from downstairs made Bella jump, but Edward only chuckled.

"The McCarty's are in da house!" Emmett's voice rang out and Bella couldn't help but laugh along with Edward.

"I should have known a noise that loud would be from him," she admitted, smiling down at Edward's upturned face. He playfully puckered his lips and she giggled before bending down to leave a smacking kiss on his mouth.

"He's announced himself every time he walks through that front door, ever since our parents bought the place." Edward stood up, taking her hand back in his. They headed downstairs to find Emmett, Rosalie, Alice and Jasper hauling in heavy looking suitcases. Bella's eyes bugged out.

"I thought we were only staying overnight?" She blurted out. The guys laughed while Alice sighed in exasperation.

"I never leave without the bare essentials," she declared. Rosalie just rolled her eyes, carrying her own modest duffel bag.

"One would think she would buy another set of these 'bare essentials' to leave here instead of making us haul them back and forth,"

Alice glared at Rosalie, her hands on her little hips. "It's a good workout. And not all of us can roll out of bed looking like a supermodel."

Rosalie shrugged nonchalantly and headed towards the stairs. "While you enjoy your workout, I'm taking this _one_ bag with mine _and_ Emmett's stuff up to our room." She grinned at Edward and Bella as she passed them. "You two in the lavender room?"

Edward nodded and Bella blushed at the blonde's saucy grin. She didn't say a word though, as she climbed up the stairs and disappeared down the hall.

Bella watched as Emmett and Jasper struggled with Alice's luggage, while the pixie herself supervised, carrying only a small travel bag. Edward led Bella out of their path as they watched the trio head up the stairs.

"What on earth does she think is essential?" Bella whispered in wonder.

"Believe me, she has enough in those bags to start a full fledged spa," Edward shook his head in amusement. "Hopefully, though, we won't have to wait for her to unpack before getting to the park."

Thankfully, Alice's unpacking didn't hold them up. Within thirty minutes, they were all piled into Emmett's Ford Expedition and excitedly headed towards Dollywood.

Bella was practically vibrating with excitement as she showed off her season pass with the others and made her way into the park. They stopped off first in front of the Palace Theatre, asking an elderly couple to take their picture in front of the Dollywood sign for her Facebook page.

They walked around and Bella took in the different shops and restaurants, the live music giving her a bounce in her step that made Edward chuckle. She shared a cup of Dippin Dots with Rosalie before they got in line for the River Rampage ride, a round six seater raft that went around a white water rapids type river. Alice and Rosalie sat in the raft with their feet up on the wheel in the center and Bella followed suit, not wanting to walk around all day with soaked socks. They spun around the river along the rapids, getting sprayed and splashed and they laughed at Alice's shrieks when her hair got wet.

Bella screamed along with the girls on Daredevil Falls and Blazing Fury while the guys teased them. Emmett shook the toboggan they were in on the Mountain Slidewinder to scare them, but screamed like a little girl when they rode the Tennessee Tornado and the Thunderhead roller coasters. Jasper and Edward teased him mercilessly but Emmett didn't care in the least. Edward impressed Bella with his ability to keep a hold of his phone on the Firechaser Express while he secretly filmed Emmett's girly screams.

"To post online later," he whispered at the end of the ride, making Bella laugh in glee.

They stopped for cheesesteaks and sausage and pepper sandwiches at Market Square and then went to The Grist Mill to buy the "famous" cinnamon bread. Bella eyed the individual sized loaves with interest and Edward pointed out the cups of homemade icing that came with it. They bought extra to take home, Rosalie joking that Carlisle would never forgive them if they came back from Dollywood without bringing him one of his favorite treats.

Once outside, Edward tore off a piece of the bread and dipped it in the icing, holding it up to Bella's mouth. He grinned at her blush as she opened her mouth, moaning in pleasure at the flavors that burst over her tongue.

"Please tell me you can make this, Bells," Emmett moaned through his own mouthful and Bella nodded, still chewing in bliss. She was pretty sure she could recreate it at home.

They sat outside on benches devouring their food and Bella could barely move when she was done. She was grateful when Rosalie suggested they rest their gluttonous selves by riding the Dollywood Express, a twenty minute train ride through the foothills of the Smoky Mountains.

The sun was just starting to set during the train ride and Bella's breath caught at the scenery. She was surrounded by beautiful deep green forestry and above that, the sky exploded in rich oranges, pinks and purples. She took out her phone and snapped dozens of photos, some of just the landscape, some with her friends cheesing for the camera. Beside her, Edward reached out, taking the phone from her and holding it out far enough to capture all of them.

"You're the main attraction of this trip," he murmured in her ear, making her flush warmly. "There will be no posting of photos without you in them."

Bella still felt giddy at his words when the ride ended and they departed the train. They slowly started heading back towards the main gate when Alice started bouncing up and down.

"We have to have an old timey photo taken!" She declared, clapping her hands. "We've never had one with Bella before!"

The others agreed and ten minutes later, Bella found herself staring in a mirror at the black and red saloon girl getup she was wearing. She rolled her eyes heavenward as Alice bounded towards her in her own purple and black ruffled monstrosity, a red feather headband in her grasp.

"Smile, Bella, you love it," Alice teased, reaching up to attach the feather to Bella's head. "And you make a downright adorable saloon girl, I might add."

Bella chuckled, looking past her to see Rosalie dressed in a similar costume in green and black. Emmett was shirtless in a pair of overalls, Jasper sported a Confederate soldier's uniform, and Edward looked particularly sexy as a gunslinger in a long brown coat, leather gun belt, bandanna and a cowboy hat.

They took a group photo in front of the "bar" setup, one of just Bella, Alice and Rosalie sitting cross legged on top of the bar, and one of each couple. Rosalie changed into a tank and a pair of overalls and posed with Emmett carrying a banjo while he held up a moonshine bottle. To mesh with Jasper's Confederate look, Alice traded in her saloon girl costume for a heavy looking Scarlett O'Hara outfit of pink taffeta, white lace and hoopskirts. Edward and Bella decided on a 1920's theme for their photo, and Edward donned a three piece pinstripe suit and fedora while Bella changed into a short red flapper style dress with another red feather headband, a black boa and a long cigarette holder a'la Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Bella almost drooled all over her pretty dress when the photographer had Edward lounge against the door of an old Model T in front of a jailhouse set, holding up a Tommy gun. She was then instructed to lean against his side with her high heeled foot resting on a bag of money on the floor, showing off the red garter and white pistol high on her thigh.

"Woohoo, sexy Bella!" Emmett shouted from the other side of the room. Bella groaned and Edward chuckled, his left hand squeezing her hip gently.

"You do look pretty hot there, Sweet Girl," he murmured, green eyes sparkling with pleasure. Bella grinned back, feeling a bit bold. She reached out and gave his Tommy gun a quick stroke.

"There's something about a man in a suit…" she let her words drop off, giddy at the sight of his darkening eyes.

They posed for two shots and changed back into their street clothes before meeting the others with the photographer to pick up their photos. Bella bought copies of each photo and Edward bought all of the ones with Bella in them. Alice bought an extra copy of Bella and Edward's gangster photo "for Esme", claiming that her mother would be brokenhearted if she couldn't display it with the other family photos.

With photographic evidence of their trip in hand, they headed towards the exit, stopping at the Sweet Shoppe along the way so Bella could pick up a box of pralines to take back to Shelley.

The drive back to the cabin was loud and full of laughter and Bella soaked it all in, loving every second of it. She listened while Emmett and Alice argued over where they would go for breakfast the next morning before going to Splash Country and what movie they would watch first when they got back to the cabin. Bella didn't bother joining in on the conversation, preferring to just remain silent and savor the warmth emanating from Edward's arm that was wrapped around her. His fingers ran a slow path from her shoulder to her elbow and back up, leaving little trails of electric shocks in their wake. His scent surrounded her like a fog, a delicious mix of woodsy outdoors and Irish Spring soap. She felt high from him and barely noticed when Emmett pulled into the driveway.

"So we all agree, movie night in the rec room?" Alice asked. Bella blinked herself back to the present, nodding along with the others.

They all went their separate ways once inside and Bella showered and changed into a pair of cotton sweatpants and a Hello Kitty tank top before meeting Edward in the kitchen. He smiled at her over his shoulder as he cranked a Whirley Pop on the stove. Beside him on the counter were two batches of popcorn waiting to be eaten.

"Wow, no microwave popcorn here, huh?" Bella teased, standing beside him and surveying the different flavored salts available.

"No ma'am," he drawled, leaning down to give her a quick kiss on the forehead. "We used to use an air popper, and then these came out and Alice went crazy. She bought one for everybody."

She helped him divide the finished popcorn up into large bowls, seasoning each one with something different; bacon and cheddar, dill pickle, caramel, buffalo wing. In a bowl of plain butter, he added in a handful of M&M's and gummy bears. She looked at him with an eyebrow raised and his ears turned slightly pink.

"For Alice," he explained and Bella just laughed.

Rosalie appeared then, dressed adorably in a pair of pink plush footed pajamas, her damp hair twisted in a knot on top of her head. Bella had to admit, as gorgeous as the blonde was every day, she looked the most beautiful in her natural, just out of the shower makeup-free state.

The blonde eyed Bella's own clothes and smiled. "Well hello, Kitty. I've come to help with the popcorn."

The three of them carried the bowls downstairs where, besides another two bedrooms and bathrooms, there was a massive den with comfy, lumpy sectionals, bean bag chairs, a wet bar and a home theatre system with an insanely large projector screen on a tripod.

"Good God, you have your own movie theatre too," Bella blurted out.

"A necessity, my dear," Alice declared, hauling a basket of movie theatre sized candy boxes out of a cabinet. "There's nothing worse than sitting in a theatre with whispering kids and hormonal teenagers."

"Especially when Alice is one of those hormonal teenagers," Rosalie joked, setting the two bowls she was carrying on the coffee table. "Babe, I've got the buffalo wing here."

"Ooh, my favorite!" Emmett rushed over, scooping up a handful and shoving it into his mouth before plopping down on the sofa.

Bella chuckled, setting her two bowls down and thanking Jasper as he handed her a cold bottle of Cherry Coke. She selected a box of Milk Duds before settling down on the sectional beside Edward, who was in the corner with his legs stretched out.

They started out watching "Death Proof", where Alice attempted to recreate Butterfly's lap dance for Jasper, which led to Emmett and Edward hissing and booing her while throwing popcorn at her head. Bella laughed at that, but hid her face in Edward's chest during the gruesome parts. She made it halfway through Alice's movie choice, "Burlesque", before the day finally caught up with her and she fell asleep with her head in Edward's lap, his fingers gently playing through her hair.

*.*.*

Bella woke up the next morning in a state of sheer bliss. She was sprawled out across Edward's chest in the bed, his fingers running from the top of her scalp down to the middle of her back. She actually purred as she lifted her head just enough to meet his sleepy green eyes.

"Good morning, Sweet Girl," he murmured, leaning his head down slightly to brush his lips over hers. Bella moaned into the kiss, not even caring about morning breath. He slowly moved his lips from her mouth to her cheeks, forehead and her chin before placing one last kiss on the tip of her nose, laughing softly when she twitched it a'la Samantha from Bewitched.

"Best wake up greeting ever," she sighed in pleasure, laying her head back on his chest. Edward hummed in agreement as they just lied there in silence, enjoying the peace and comfort of the early morning.

Bella knew she was young and inexperienced when it came to men in general, but she never thought it would be possible to find a man who seemed content to just lay in the bed with her cuddling with no sex involved or even expected. Although she had never actually gone out on a date before Edward, a few of the guys from high school- including a very taken Mike Newton- would try to get her to go out with them, their voices and body language insinuating that they expected for the date to end up with her legs spread in the backseat of their car. As if sharing pizza and a movie meant she owed them sex. And while that may have been just perfect for the likes of Jessica Stanley or Lauren Mallory, the thought alone disgusted Bella.

Maybe it was the age difference or maybe it was just his upbringing, but Edward was nothing like the guys back in Forks. They could share a bed or a few heated kisses and she didn't have to worry about fighting off groping hands. She didn't even have to explain herself on not being ready to go further. What was more, she had a feeling that even if she tried to go further than she was ready for, Edward wouldn't allow it.

Bella thought back to her father's letter and she knew that Edward was the kind of man that Charlie Swan would want for his daughter; someone kind and funny, who worked hard and treated her with the utmost care and respect. She imagined that if she had been given the chance to introduce Edward to her father, he would have still brought out the guns to clean just because it was something he felt was his right as her father, but he would have loved Edward. Bella knew her father would have appreciated the fact that on their first date, Edward took her somewhere that he knew she would have fun. That he made sure she had everything she needed and always showed her how special she was to him.

Charlie would have never admitted it, but he would have been impressed by the daily flower ritual that Edward had started.

Warm and comfortable, Bella was just about to doze off again when the sound of a door banging open in the hallway broke through the silence and Alice's excited voice rang out.

"Up up people, chop chop!"

Edward groaned, tightening his arms around Bella. "I swear she's worse than an alarm clock."

Bella mumbled in agreement, burying her face in his chest. The last thing she wanted to do was get out of the blissful cocoon she was wrapped up in.

It wasn't a minute later before Alice's shrill commands were accompanied by the loud banging of her fist against the closed bedroom doors.

"Be gone with you, Devil Pixie!" Emmett's gruff voice rang out from the room next door. Bella giggled as the cousins argued back and forth through the closed door. Edward just groaned, rolling over to partially cover Bella with his body, pulling the comforter over their heads.

"If we're quiet, maybe she'll think we're not here," he whispered. "And if she barges in, this blanket makes us invisible."

Bella bit back a combination laugh and moan, instead committing the feeling of Edward's body pressing her into the mattress to memory. Even first thing in the morning, he smelled phenomenal and she fought the urge to lick his neck to see if he tasted just as good.

Her warm fuzzies disappeared, though, as the banging started on their door.

With a groan, they both dragged themselves out of the bed, yelling to Alice that they were up. Bella used the bathroom first, washing her face and brushing her teeth before heading back to her overnight bag to change into a blue one piece swimsuit, pulling on a pair of shorts and a tank top over it. When Edward emerged from the bathroom in black board shorts and an orange tee shirt, she sat down hard on the bed.

"Maybe we can just tape the pixie's mouth shut and stay in here for the day?" she suggested playfully.

Edward laughed, his eyes twinkling as he leaned over her, effectively caging her on the mattress. "If I thought that would keep her quiet, believe me, I would have no issues with that."

Bella enjoyed a few more kisses before the yelling started again in the hallway. One last longer, heated kiss and she was in a daze as Edward grabbed her hand and led her out of the room.

They stopped for breakfast at a crowded diner, Bella and Edward splitting the chicken and waffles and the apple crepes between them. Even taking their time, laughing and joking around, they all made it to the front gates of the water park just as they were opening.

Bella had a blast, racing Emmett down Fire Tower Falls before they all piled into a raft to ride the Big Bear Plunge. They spent the day racing each other on different slides and lazing around on the Downbound Float Trip. Bella blushed in pleasure when Edward tied their tubes together with one of the bungee cords he used on his keychain, enjoying the warmth of his hand around hers as they peacefully floated down the "river". They ate burgers and fries at the Campsite Grill, sharing a huge cup of vanilla soft serve and strawberries at Berries & Cream before starting all over again on the slides.

They left the park around three fifteen, heading back to the cabin to get their overnight bags and Alice's plethora of luggage before heading home in time for Sunday dinner at the Cullen's. Bella chuckled at the sad look in Carlisle's eyes when she didn't walk into the house with one of her homemade desserts, but his eyes lit up when Rosalie held up the bag of cinnamon bread from Dollywood.

"All is forgiven," he teased, blue eyes sparkling as he kissed all three girls on the cheek before heading towards the kitchen with his treat.

Dinner was a joyful affair, everybody laughing and teasing around the table as they feasted on Esme's fabulous Jambalaya and Cajun shrimp cornbread. Bella was so full afterwards she considered unbuttoning her shorts and slouching in a food coma, much like Emmett was doing across the table from her.

"I have got to get a gym membership if I keep this up," she groaned.

"Silly girl, you don't need one," Alice declared, reaching for her sweet tea. "We have a home gym downstairs. You can use it any time."

Bella laughed, looking around the table at her "adopted" family. "I should have known. You guys prepare for everything."

The rest of the evening was spent much like dinner, talking and laughing and enjoying each other's company. Bella was sad to see it end, but she was exhausted and had to get up early for work the next morning. After a flurry of hugs and kisses from everybody, she followed Edward out to her truck. The drive to the bakery was made in comfortable silence and before she knew it, she was parking beside Edward's truck in the lot.

"I'm not ready for this weekend to end," he admitted quietly, squeezing her hand.

"Me neither," she whispered, her voice sounding loud in the quiet of the truck cab. "Can you stay over?"

His smile was serene and her heart fluttered. "I'd be honored to, Sweet Girl."

She blushed, looking down at their clasped hands. "Then you can consider this an open invitation to stay over whenever you want."

His finger appeared then, lifting her chin so she had to look up at him. The adoration and happiness in his eyes was plain to see. "I really want to make 'us' official, then. Bella, will you be my girlfriend? Will you let me tell the world that you're mine and I'm yours?"

Bella felt her eyes sting with happy tears as a half laugh/half sob escaped her lips. Without pausing to think, she launched herself out of the driver's seat and into Edward's lap, hugging him with everything she had in her. Edward chuckled, hugging her back just as tightly.

"Is that a yes?" he teased.

Bella nodded against his shoulder, managing to mumble a "hell yes" before she leaned back slightly so she could press her lips against his.

 _I'm Edward's girlfriend, I'm Edward's girlfriend!_

*.*.*

 **A/N: I am so so sorry for the long wait. Real life is a pain and writer's block is a bitch.**


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